Today was another teaching moment at Ainshams University in Cairo. Dietician Stacey Fogerty-Brown explained the importance of proper nutrition to doctors at Ainshams University and Cairo University. The fans were blowing and the having slatted blinds were slapping against the windows. About 25 doctors gathered. There was a lot of discussion as Stacey gave her presentation, lots of questions too. The doctors are learning about CF. This is the beginning for them. It’s like stepping back in time. They don’t have a lot of the tools or medications they need, but they’re doing so much with what they do have. They just got vests from The Bonnell Foundation and CF Vests for life, so now have 4 vests for the 600 diagnosed patients (in America everyone has a vest machine in their home). The Ministry of Health (MOH) has not recognized the disease, but a lot has changed in two years. Albuterol was approved and is provided to people with Asthma, and that means people with CF can now get the drug. The Ministry of Health now, thanks to Dr. Nasr’s efforts supplies patients 6 and younger with enzymes. The challenge is that the government does not realize that patients need a lot of enzymes. The M.O.H may not approve enough for patients to take with their food (for digestion) for the entire month. So patients go without and their health is compromised. Doctors are still learning the basics in some cases. For example when to take enzymes. Stacey talked about enzyme protocol. Stacey also taught doctors how to talk to parents. Education is key, there is so very much they don’t know. Pictured in the photo are from left: Dr. Maggie Naguib, me (red glasses) back to the front row, Dr. Eman Fouda, (back row) to Dr. Saly Raafal Ishak and Dr. Samya Nasr front right. We are all blissfully exhausted. We were also able to travel to the pyramids in the afternoon, after work/presentations were complete. It was breathtaking. The Egyptians were ahead of their time. They were able to build these incredible “sculptures” dedicated to Kings (and smaller ones) and their wives. #CFEgypt
Training doctors and families about CF. Dr. Samya Nasr spearheads the effort to get people in Egypt diagnosed and on correct medications and doing physical therapy.
