Safely back to Bamako

We arrived safely back in Bamako earlier this afternoon just in time to make a 1:30 appointment with  Professor Diallo who is the head of the National Sickle Cell Center.  We presented the data from the sickle cell screening program at Koutiala Hospital and they were very excited about the numbers and all that has been accomplished since the start of the program in 2011.  They agree that the data is ready for publication and hope that we will be able to collaborate on future publications as well.  The goal will ultimately be to convince the government of the importance of sickle cell screening and proper treatment in the future.  

We are in a hotel in Bamako tonight and then tomorrow we will visit the government hospital to meet with the head of pediatric cancer treatment.  The rest of tomorrow will be free time and then our flight to Paris leaves at 11:50pm tomorrow night.

 I have included some representative pictures of traditional Bogolan artwork.  These were done in Koutiala, but the process of using mud, bark, and leaves to draw/paint on fabric is common throughout Mali.

The Baobab tree is a symbol of unity throughout Africa and this piece represents people coming together around the tree, which is particularly important at this time in the history of Mali.

Thanks to everyone who has followed along with this trip to Mali.  My hope is that you have been able to see a different side of Mali than what is depicted in the media.  The people of Mali can teach us a great deal about supporting and relating to one another.  The needs here are great and the hope for improvement in the near future does not look good.  If you have a desire to support the work at Koutiala Hospital, feel free to ask me for more information.  The quickest way to donate money is through several different secure, tax deductible links.

http://tinyurl.com/macleanworkfund  This is the Dr. MacLean's general work fund which includes the sickle cell screening and management program.  For as little as $30-$50/month you can support the screening and proper treatment of a child with sickle cell disease.  If you are interested in donating to the sickle program, use the link above and send an email to Brett MacLean at brettandsheri@gmail.com to let him know that the money will be earmarked for that purpose.

http://tinyurl.com/khcancer  This is the fund specifically earmarked for treatment of cancer patients at Koutiala Hospital.  To give you an idea of relative costs of treating cancer in Africa:  Acute Leukemia $5,000/ patient ; Burkitt lymphoma $1,000/patient ; Wilms Tumor and Hodgkin Lymphoma $2,000/patient.