S.D. Onyango 12/27/22 S.D. Onyango 12/27/22

Research and US: Changing the narrative!

Using Research to Advocate for your Healthcare and Treatment.

Thanks to research, we now know that Black men, women and children and other people of colour are disproportionately affected by diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and women’s health just to name a few in comparison to their white counterparts. Research has laid bare the stark health inequalities that plague our communities, raising much needed awareness and prompting questions as to how these inequalities came about and how the gaps could be bridged if not closed!

For some reason, these pieces and articles of research are wielded out and about by the government and doctors surgeries when there are relevant campaigns that suit their current agendas at that particular time, like a window dressing of sorts or a way to gaslight the already disadvantaged that it is up to them, they need to take more care of their health so as not to end up as part of the statistics that are quoted in the research articles. “Get screened, recognise the signs and symptoms, tell your doctor if you feel that there is something wrong”- we have all had the above and the powers that be, are aware of these statistics and disparities, then why is it still so damned hard to get the treatment that one deserves, especially as a woman, a Black woman?

Let’s use uterine fibroids as an example, according to the NHS website (link at the end), fibroids develop more frequently in women of African-Caribbean descent, but it can takes years for them to access treatment with symptoms that include but are not limited to: heavy and or painful periods, abdominal pain, lower back pain, pain and or discomfort during sex, the increased urge to urinate and constipation. Black women, myself included, who have presented with the above list of symptoms at the G.P are more than often ignored or fobbed off despite research pointing to the high prevalence of uterine fibriods amongst Black women and this has led to prolonged unnecessary suffering with detrimental effects on Black women’s health and wellbeing.

So how do you look after yourself and your health?

Using knowledge and research to advocate for one's health and treatment is definitely a form of self-care, i have come to realise. It may mean that you get labelled as a ‘problem patient’ because of how hard to may have to fight to get the treatment you deserve( we are hopeful that somewhere down the long line, this fighting for appropriate treatment, will no longer be necessary, but until then, be battle ready!).

So gather as well as note down:

all your symptoms, start dates, what makes them worse or better
how many times if any you have sort medical advice and what was said/recommended, what remedies, medication you have tried/used
any family history/ family member who has or had same symptoms
What information/research is out there as pertains to your symptoms especially as a Black man/woman or child
what treatment/management plans are out there/recommended and which ones are specifically/ proven or shown to work for or on Black people

G.P appointments are notoriously short and the planning above helps make those allocated ten minutes count. Take someone with you if you can and most important of all, always ask for a differential diagnosis and management plan, that way you start a conversation around ‘if it is not what i know it is then what else do you think it could be and how do we( you and the doctor) tackle it’?

It is great that there are a lot of articles both research and lived experiences about health inequalities in relation to Black and other minorities as well as specifically ones on Black Women and while much still needs to be done, like increasing diversity in terms of more Black people and women in research trials, we can still use what we currently have to help advocate for our health and treatment and in the process keep the focus on reducing and eventually eliminating all forms of health inequalities.

Telemedicine in Kenya - 5 years on!

Telemedicine was meant to revolutionise primary health care delivery in Kenya. Five years on, has it?

Technology can play an important part in healthcare, as is currently evident in the role it has played in the fight against Covid-19. Indeed early this year in March, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), launched a telemedicine technology center for the detection of Coronavirus, touted as the first of its kind in Africa. Telemedicine allows healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunications technology.

A quick google search on telemedicine in Kenya, shows that its not a new concept in Kenya. In fact 2015 saw the launch of two telemedicine schemes, that were meant to revolutionise healthcare delivery to Kenya’s rural poor and marginalised communities. The first scheme was a collaborative venture between German based Merck group and the Ministry of Health, that provided a platform which enabled both patients and healthcare providers in rural areas to interact with Kenyatta National Hospital health experts via video conferencing. The second scheme, Sema-Doc was launched by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and for monthly fee of 300 Kenyan shillings you would get access to medical doctor plus a whole range of other services by dialing *220# on ones safaricom line. There also exists a whole host of privately run telemedicine schemes like Connect Med (mDaktari) by Access Afya, which aim to offer affordable convenient access to primary care.

Five years on and with the devolution of healthcare coupled with little or no change in primary healthcare delivery services especially in rural and marginalised areas, we would like to know of your experience of telemedicine and if it has truly revolutionised primary healthcare delivery for the rural poor and marginalised communities as envisioned. Have you heard of these schemes or even used any of them or any other form of telemedicine? If so, what has been your experience and what if anything can be improved upon?

Please let us know via the ‘your health matters’ page on the website.

Useful reading:

Nakweya,G(2015) Kenya launches telemedicine initiative for the poor- https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/medicine/news/kenya-launches-telemedicine-initiative-poor.html

2. Wanyonyi,P(2015), Telemedicine is here ,but more needs to be done . Nairobi business monthly https://www.nairobibusinessmonthly.com/telemedicine-is-here-but-more-needs-to-be-done/

3. https://connectmed.co.ke/
4. Kabia, J (2018), Technology expert says Kenya is the ‘promised land’ of telemedicine. Health Business- http://www.healthbusiness.co.ke/2015/technology-expert-says-kenya-is-the-promised-land-of-telemedicine/