On the front line: The Somalia diary
BMJ 2007; 334 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.070132 (Published 01 January 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;334:070132
- Geraldine O'Hara, clinical research fellow1
- 1Oxford Vaccine Group, Churchill Hospital, Oxford
“But what you don't realise is tuberculosis carries a lot of stigma - like AIDS - so they won't tell you if the child has been in contact with someone with tuberculosis, especially if it's a senior member of the family.” The highly experienced local nurse smiles at me while saying this. I am quickly learning a lot here in Somalia.
At the end of February this year I left a cold and snowy England to be transplanted into the arid desert soil of Somalia. I'm now working as the doctor on a tuberculosis treatment project in a town called Galcayo in the Mudug region. The first comment from most of my friends was, “Have you watched Black Hawk Down yet?”
Trouble in the Horn
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) first entered my consciousness as a teenager, and I had long harboured a desire to work for them. Eventually, in January 2006, the time was right professionally, after attaining membership of the Royal College of Physicians and with six months' experience of infectious diseases as a senior house officer. I am not ashamed to say that when finally confronted with the opportunity to go my heart lurched somewhat. It had been a nice idea, but the idea started to pall with the reality of leaving a career and family. However, I set about learning about Somalia with gusto.
Somalia occupies a part of Africa referred to as the Horn of Africa. In the 9th century, migrants from the Arabic peninsula arrived bringing with them traditional nomadic lifestyles, Islam, and the clan system, which today dominates Somali politics. Because of the shortage of usable land and water there were many clashes between groups. The …
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