Dr. Bob Skankey, although he is no longer traveling to Niger, is still a very active board member of the Nomad Foundation and as he has done all his life–is determined to improve people’s health. With his support, we are starting a program to address one of the biggest killers in the region where we work–malaria. This year we will develop baseline statistics to determine if our future efforts are making a difference. The trained matrones who provide our maternal and infant mortality statistics will now keep track of malaria cases. Our efforts will focus on prevention and treatment and will evolve with time.
This year the rains have been very heavy in our region of Niger. Although a boon to nomads who need good pasture, it can cause many other problems. Buildings made of unreinforced adobe collapse, but the worst of these problems is a high incidence of malaria. The nomads are seeing a huge increase this year. We have taken on a second nurse at the clinic to help. There are so many patients, we don’t have enough beds so the IV treatment moves outside to a mat under a tree or shade tarp. These people would not have care if it weren’t for our clinic.
