Podcast

This session will focus on the advances in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) with a special emphasis on healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP). We will discuss the progress made over the past 25 years as well as a way forward with a focus on international family planning. We will look at Ethiopia as a case study for the implementation of healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies and the linkages with addressing other global health millennium development goals. In terms of next steps, we will provide a robust discussion around philanthropy, awareness-raising, and advocacy opportunities to elevate the issues of MNCH for a goal of better dialogue and increased funding on these important global health and development issues.

May people talk about being a missionary in the future… "when I graduate from medical school… when I pay off my debt… when I have more experience… THEN I will become a missionary." The problem is that few are actually living the life of a missionary NOW. Being a missionary does not just magically happen when you set foot on foreign soil. In this session we will discuss the preparation of your heart and hands to be a missionary NOW in your current context, whether that be nursing school, medical school, or residency, AND in the future, whether that be North Africa or North Tulsa.

Integrating evangelism into medical missions can be difficult, particularly in areas that are closed to the gospel. We will discuss the topic from the big picture down to details and examples.

Spina bifida is usually a devastating diagnosis in any part of the work, but it is even more grave in the developing world. Embarking upon a treatment regimen demands that the parents have full information about what limitations should be anticipated for their child. Also, the full repertoire of potential operations, needed care, and life expectancy should be discussed with the family. The mother should be advised about long term folate utilization if she anticipates continued sexual activity while being in a child bearing age. Full information will allow a better understanding by the parents of anticipated changes in the child's disposition over a life time. As the child matures, more and more information will also needed to be shared with the patient.

Historically, the medical goals of medical missions have focused primarily upon primary care, preventive care, and infectious diseases. While these continue to be areas of great need throughout the world, and justifiably remain laudable goals of medical missions, a great deal of literature has emerged in recent years regarding the enormous burden of chronic disease in developing countries. Correctible cardiac lesions have been shown to represent a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases in the developing world, and generally are a disease of children and young adults. Due to lack of diagnostic and curative services, most of these patients continue to die at very young ages. However, with appropriate technology, teaching, and capacity building, many patients can be treated to prevent progression of disease, or provide curative surgical therapy. In this breakout session, we will look at the example of Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, where hundreds of open-heart procedures have now been performed with very low morbidity and mortality. We will examine the significant financial issues involved with this type of technology, as well as the enormous number of productive years of life, which can be redeemed through cardiac care. Finally, we will also discuss the joys of providing spiritual as well as physical healing of the hearts of people in the developing world.