Well, my maladie turned out to be a bacterial lung infection. After talking with the Peace Corps doctor, a Malian woman, in Bamaka, I started a 10 day regime of erythromycin antibiotic, which we all carry in out First Aid kits. I felt better almost immediately.
Our Volunteer Wellness Handbook is 178 pages covering topics like:
- mental health
- healthy living (never ever swim in natural bodies of water >> parasites)
- diarrhea and gastro-intenstinal problems (very common)
- Malaria ( we all have it already, but the weekly medication controls it, most of the time)
- other infectious diseases
- respiratory infections (common, it is very dusty in the dry season here)
- reproductive health (some volunteers contracts HIV here)
- dental health
- First Aid
Our Medical Kit contains:
- Malaria blood test kit (for taking our own blood sample for a lab)
- stool sample kit (hope I don't have to use this)
- Cipro, for intestinal bacterial infections
- Immodium for diarrhea
- rehydration solution
- antibiotic, decongestant, water treatment solution, ace bandage, and other standard supplies
In some of the forests in the south of Mali, very lethal snakes (like the Green Mamba) can hang from trees, looking like branches. If they bite you in the head, it is hard for the coroner to find the evidence. It is good to wear hats as well as boots.
Since I arrived, I have received about 15 vaccinations. I also take malaria medication on a weekly basis. It controls the Malaria parasite already in our bodies, most of the time.
We also have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) filed with the Peace Corps office in Bamako. In case of emergency, we will all receive notification of where we need to go. Also there is a map of where our houses are, in case a vehicle or helicopter needs to pick us up.
So, these are some of the reasons why it is interesting to be sick in Mali. It may sound worse than it is. Some people do not get sick at all. Most have minor problems like mine. A lot has to do with us taking responsibility for our own health and wellness. We have excellent medical support here.