Ebola shows no signs of fading away in Liberia

The Ebola scare in Liberia and neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea is getting worse every day. There are now two Americans that have been infected with the virus. One of the popular doctors in Monrovia - Dr. Brisbane - passed away over the weekend. Another popular doctor in Sierra Leone is currently infected. If you live in that part of the world it feels like perhaps this is the "big one".

Over the weekend I have come to know from my ex-staff in Liberia that Dr. Samuel Brisbane passed away from Ebola. Liberians are grief-stricken by the loss of the Chief Medical Officer of the most famous referral hospital in Liberia - JFK Hospital. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Brisbane during one of the many meetings at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) when I worked in Liberia. I did not know him outside professional interactions, but he always brought a good spirit to the JFK hospital whenever I visited for work. And, most importantly, he was respected as an authority in medicine. I can only imagine the morale of JFK staff at the moment, after their beloved leader passed away. 

There are numerous mainstream media reports on Ebola in West Africa. However, I feel that most of them are not comprehensive. While I have known for a while - through my ex staff in Liberia - that the situation on the ground is not entirely reflective of what is being reported in the media, most of the my friends and family back in the US are not being told the complete story. Only recently are we hearing reports of communities refusing access to Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) in Sierra Leone and Guinea. Some of us have been hearing these reports from almost three months ago. This animosity towards MSF is important to notice because MSF is one of the few organizations that has consistently been at the forefront of the outbreak response. If MSF is denied entry into communities and cannot provide care, the crisis will undoubtedly get worse. My ex staff in Liberia tell a similar story of family members threatening clinic staff with physical violence and taking away their infected family members from the hospitals to care for them at home. The communities do not trust the medical care and believe that quarantine is a way of "controlling" the locals. In fact, the situation in Liberia has gotten so bad with families hiding their infected family members that President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had to issue a government order stating that hiding Ebola-infected members from medical care is a punishable offense. 

We are now hearing of a suspected Ebola death in Nigeria that may have come from Liberia. If Ebola has spread from Liberia to Nigeria, I am afraid it has spread to the countries in between - Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Togo - because of porous borders. As of a few days ago, President Johnson-Sirleaf has restricted movements in and out of Liberia. The land borders are to remain closed but the Roberts International Airport remains open with possible testing for passengers who are entering and leaving the airport. Considering my past experience in Liberia, I do not put much stock in how or if this testing will be conducted. However, it is a important step in disease surveillance. 

So far all my ex staff are safe and sound, in spite of working in the infected areas. I pray for their safety and hope that the outbreak subsides. This is one event we need to closely monitor and take measures to contain the infection. As we used to say during our work meetings at the MOHSW - "God bless Liberia!". Even though I do not live or work there anymore, Liberia will always be in my heart and well wishes. Liberians always believe God will save Liberia and its people...this is one time that God may want to step in and give hope to the Liberians. 

Lone Star Forever!

How about some tear gas with that lunch?

As some of you know, I eat lunch at a cook shop (Liberian slang for a hole-in-the-wall place) called Lowise's bar and restaurant. I shouldn’t call Lowise’s a restaurant; it is more like a shack. Heck, it doesn’t even have electricity…you have to eat in dim light even when it is sunny outside because of inadequate windows. I guess it is Lowise’s idea of a romantic lunch during the depressing rainy season. Monrovia is usually dull and dreary in the rainy season. The unrelenting rain keeps most people indoors. Despite the rain, I walk over to Lowise's at least three times a week for lunch.

Because the rain is relentless and crippling, people pour in to the streets as soon as the rain stops, even if it is for a few minutes. I am one of those people. On Friday, I walk over to Lowise’s to have some fried greens with fish and rice. I am savoring my lunch while I notice loud noises coming from outside. Now mind you, this is Monrovia, it is loud all the time. However, the loud police sirens alerted me. I got up from my unfinished lunch and walked over the entrance of Lowise’s to see what is going on. I notice police in full riot gear gathering right outside Lowise’s. I am usually unperturbed by these kind of activities, but this is Liberia; a simple demonstration can turn in to a violent life-threatening incident in a matter of few minutes. I ask the ladies serving food at Lowise’s what’s going on with the riot police. They say the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) – the main opposition political party in Liberia – is holding a rally in protest of high unemployment rates in Liberia. Well, these kind of protests are common in many countries… it does not sound dangerous, does it?

Before I finish gathering information from the ladies, I hear people screaming from the outside and something similar to shots being fired. First instinct, duck for cover! Next thing I know there is thick smoke pouring in to Lowise’s. My eyes, nose, and throat immediately start burning. Then I realize it is tear gas. People are still screaming outside, running helter-skelter, while the ladies working in Lowise’s wrap their faces in cloth and lock the entrance door so nobody can enter from the outside.

So, here I am ducking under the table, with my eyes, nose, and throat severely burning, and no way to get out. I had nothing to cover myself and I was writhing in pain, wishing that this unprovoked tear gas attack will end fast. I waited under the table for what seemed like eternity, even though I think it may have been only 15 minutes, all the while coughing, crying, and suffering from the intense burning sensation. I call my boss while waiting and alert him to the incident. Since our office is just around the corner, he was able to witness the incident from his window, without having to inhale the tear gas like I did. After a while the ladies unlocked the door and I bolted back to my office (just around the corner). I washed my eyes and face with clean water and, like any crazy person who is addicted to work, went to a meeting.

I do not know the complete story behind the rally or the occasion for a protest by the CDC. However, from what I witnessed during lunch, the attack by riot police seems unnecessarily brutal. I saw a happy group of people singing and marching and the next thing I know the riot police are throwing tear gas at them. The sad part is that the tear gas attack happened about 100 feet away from a school. I can only imagine how terrified the children may have been. Such is the state of ruling political parties in many countries, they use brute force on opposition, sometimes without provocation. 

So, there you go folks…that was my Friday afternoon. A little tear gas served with my lunch. How did you spend your Friday?

When the clouds come rolling in...

Last week I traveled to Sanniquellie for two reasons. One was to conduct a workshop for the health workers on using data for making decisions. The other reason was to explore why contraceptive use is very low in Nimba County. I will write about those two parts later, I have to talk about the drive to Sanniquellie.

The better part of the road - with few potholes and washed away at its seams

I like driving up country, or as the Liberians call it, "the bush". The drive from Monrovia to Sanniquellie is quite the feat, because of the road. I haven't been to Sanniquellie in a month, so I wasn't aware of the condition of roads. The terrain changes rapidly in the rainy season, because it doesn't just rain here. The rain in Liberia is unlike any other. It is powerful enough to wash away everything in its path. To give you an idea, Liberia received the third largest rainfall in the world, for its land area. Monrovia is the city with the highest rainfall in the world. Since the rainy season started a month ago, I wasn't quite sure what lay ahead in front of us. Well, not much lay ahead. The dirt road that has washed away in most areas leaving huge potholes the size of craters, and rocks. Part of the road is paved. the part from Monrovia to Gbarnga is not bad, the part from Gbarnga to Ganta is the worst, and from Ganta to Sanniquellie is just track. Half of our journey is spent clinging on to our dear lives on the hand railing in our Land Cruiser. I do not recommend anyone with a bad back doing this trip.

However, not all is bad. The scenery is beautiful. That's what happens when you drive through the last remaining rain forest in West Africa. Lush tropical forest lines either sides of the road. Huge rubber trees stand majestically among the underbrush. The Liberian rain forest is also the world's only known habitat for pygmy hippos. I haven't seen one in the wild so far, because they are rare, shy, and highly endangered.

Since it is the rainy season, and these are no ordinary rains, you always are caught in a downpour. The sight of a rain storm rolling in always enthralls me. The colors - green luscious forest, red dirt road, the blue sky, and black clouds rolling in with immense speed - is quite the sight to see. Although I am no professional photographer, I tried to capture some of the intense beauty with my simple yet trusty Canon Powershot.

The clouds roll in...

What you see on the right is a small hamlet, three huts bordered by plantain and coconut trees. I asked our driver to stop in the middle of the track so I can marvel at the beauty of nature. I started taking pictures and a man came out of one of the huts to see what we were doing. After some more picture taking, we resumed our bumpy journey.

The dark sky and darker road

As we pass through more forest and start driving through the heavy downpour, we are greeted with various sounds from the forest, people running to their huts to avoid the rain, and, my most favorite of all, the smell of  earth when it receives rain. After about an hour of driving, we finally get past the rain, and start watching for the huge puddles on the road. It is a good thing we have the trust Land Cruiser, you cannot do this drive with many SUVs.

One of the things you have to be cautious of this rain is the huge puddles that form in the road. It is difficult to  avoid and gauge the depth of these puddles, which leads to many accidents. These are no ordinary puddles, they can swallow half of your car easily. We witnessed one such accident. A semi-truck that got stuck in one such puddle because it was too deep. The semi kinda nosedived in to one puddle while avoiding another puddle. Luckily there were no casualties, just a semi stuck on the road. This does not bode well for us, because you cannot take a diversion.

Accident!

Now, you may wonder why there is a big semi in the middle of the rain forest? It is because one of the largest iron ore mines in Africa is located near the Liberia-Guinea border, in a town called Yekepa. You have to pass through the rain forest to reach Yekepa. Arcelor Mittal has a huge mining operation going on in Yekepa, and this particular truck was delivering some supplies to the mine.

We got out of our SUV, walked around to see if there is any clearing on the side of the road and decided to take a chance with off-roading. There is no way we are staying stuck in the forest behind this semi, while it is getting dark. Look at my boss and our driver surveying the terrain.

My boss and driver surveying the terrain before deciding if we can off-road

My boss drove Land Cruisers in the rain forests of Cameroon 30 years ago, while volunteering as a physician in the jungles of Cameroon and Congo. He has worked extensively in Africa and he has a great knowledge of the terrain. With his and our trusty driver's skills, we were able to get out of this road block. Look at our intern waiting patiently and watching the scene.

Heather waits patiently while enjoying the scenery

That's our trusty Land Cruiser, by the way. Almost all international donors and NGOs working in Liberia have white vehicles. The rhino horn looking thing in front of the car is for our satellite phone, if we get stuck in the jungle and need the American government to come get us :) After some maneuvering, we were able to get on the road and resume our journey. We got out to see the accident from the front and it looked like this...

The accident from the front

Well, that crash could have easily been us. But we have skilled drivers, so I rarely get worried about driving through the rain forest. Just look at that lush greenery on either sides of the road. Stunning!

We go on with our journey and arrived at Sanniquellie safely. Finished work in two days and came back to Monrovia. I bought a big bag of palm nuts for Isaiah on the way back home. He is one happy bird!

Birthday celebration in Liberia

On Monday, May 21, I turned another year older. Not any wiser, mind you!

In a country severely lacking in fun things to do, how does one celebrate a birthday? Or any special occasion? Well, you adapt to the local situation and make it simple. I still tried to make the best of it with the help of family.

The day before my birthday, I received the best gift. A coffee maker!! I know, I know! You all probably think what's so special about a coffee maker? Well, let me tell you what makes it special. There is no such thing as decent coffee in this entire country. People here drink instant coffee. If you are someone like me, who is used to living on 8-10 shots of espresso per day and a gallon of coffee, you will find this country absolutely horrid. In my knowledge, there is only one place in the entire country that serves filter coffee and espresso. And that depends on the day. Some days they don't have either. Sometimes it feels like it is easier to obtain blood diamonds and illegal wildlife than finding a decent cup of coffee. So, imagine my joy when I received a coffee maker! I was so thrilled that I thought of sleeping next to it in the kitchen.

On the day of my birthday, in stereotypical Indian tradition, I arranged a party for my colleagues. Americans usually do it the other way around, but we Indians see it as our responsibility to feed people who have come to wish you. So, I arranged for lunch. Potato greens and rice...the quintessential Liberian dish. It also happens to be my favorite Liberian food. We took a group picture before lunch.

Group hug! Look at me in green!!

After eating a bucket load of potato greens with rice, I had to be wheeled out of the conference room in to my office. My gluttonous self was already thinking about dinner. We went to one of the "fancy" places in town, and there is a reason why I put the word fancy in quotes. It is one of the few places in town where you can get somewhat reliable service and good food, besides cocktails. Barracuda Sushi Bar is housed in the famous Mamba Point Hotel, within walking distance to our house. The sushi is good, the ambiance is pleasant, and they have limited cocktails.

After coming home from dinner, I received the second birthday present. Although I am unable to see it in person, I am most excited for it. It is a Heidi Norton sculpture. The artist will be shown at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art starting August. The sculpture I/we own is listed on her website, but I am posting a picture here as well. It is a mixed media + live object sculpture, with a living fern and other objects encased in resin. Even though I haven't seen it live, I am absolutely fascinated by it. I cannot wait until I return to the US and see it in our home.

Heidi Norton sculpture

Despite living in Liberia away from most of my friends and family, I managed to have a wonderful celebration because of one person. At the end of the day, all that matters is that we are together.

The first and only comprehensive assessment of capacity of the health system in Liberia - finally!!

Capacity building seems to be the buzz term in Liberia. Everybody and their mother talks about building capacity! I am not even joking when I say everyone from the international donor community to local pen-pen drivers use the term capacity building. Sometimes it feels like people are just using the term because it makes them look "cool". Almost every NGO and donor agency has a line item for capacity building in their work plan. There is even a national capacity building strategy document for Liberia. If I had a nickel for every time someone used the term capacity building! Don't get me wrong! I strongly believe in building capacity. However, I get frustrated sometimes because the term is used very loosely. Many people who are in the business of building capacity in Liberia see it from a very narrow point - the point being training individuals to build workforce capacity. For someone like me who has spent a majority of his professional life strengthening systems, it is a bothersome view. Training workforce is one of the three components of capacity building; it should not be the only focus. An individual functions well in a system that enables her/ him to put their skills to good use. You cannot just train individuals and leave them to work in a system that is not conducive to working efficiently and effectively. Strengthening individual capacity and system has to happen simultaneously if we want to achieve maximum results. Allow me to give you an example. We often hear people being trained in Monitoring and Evaluation (also known as M&E for the geeks in international aid community). I personally know plenty of local workforce that has been trained in M&E as a part of building their capacity. However, the system under which an M&E professional works is not always enabling them to use their training. How can a trained M&E person be productive when s/he is lacking a data collection and reporting system? What kind of functions will a trained person perform when they do not even have a job description? What kind of data analysis can be performed and how is the data used towards decision making when there is no mechanism/ system to analyse data and distribute the findings to key stakeholders? The above example is just one of the numerous instances where a narrow focus on capacity building does not yield intended results. More often than not the NGO and donor community tends to focus narrowly and not see the big picture. While there are situations where a focus on individual capacity takes precedence, one must always keep the institutional and systems perspectives in mind. For example, immediately following conflict there was a great need for qualified workforce in Liberia. Majority of the resources were focused on building workforce capacity, which, at that time, was thoroughly justified. Now that foreign aid is dwindling and Liberia is moving in to a phase of planning for sustainability, the time is ripe for building comprehensive capacity, not just individual capacity. That is exactly why my/ our project's approach towards building capacity is comprehensive. The approach is comprehensive; I/we focus on three levels of building capacity - individual, organization, and system.

A notice pinned on the main notice board of Lofa County Health System announcing our assessment and  "mandating" participation

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I am following the WHO six building blocks of a health system framework. There are two reasons for this: 1. The Liberian National Health and Social Welfare Policy and Plan (NHSWPP) is designed around the same framework 2. The framework is flexible enough to adapt to various situations and country systems and allows us to assess the health system in a comprehensive manner.

For anyone who has ever designed/ conducted/ participated in a health system assessment, I do not have to reiterate the fact that it is an extremely tedious process. As tedious - and sometimes frustrating - as it might be, it is immensely satisfying for geeks like me. It is very rare that an entire system comes together to assess performance, capacity, and functions. We finished the county level assessments two weeks ago and we just wrapped up our central assessments.

Key respondents and staff conducting the assessment in Lofa County

The county assessments were conducted in three counties - Lofa, Nimba, and Bong. They took place over a period of two weeks - two days for each county assessment + travel time in between. A team of us - from the ministry and our project - traveled to each county to conduct the assessments. I am not ready to share the results of all assessments yet, but I will say there is a lot of work to be done. No surprise there!

We are now moving in to the phase of analyzing our data and writing a report about our findings. I can already tell there are a few areas that we need to focus - performance management, pharmaceutical supply chain management, data use for evidence-based decision making, and organizational restructuring. The last one is going to be interesting to pull off, because people are usually resistant to change, especially when it comes to restructuring. There is vast disconnect between what the central ministry perceived the capacity to be at the county level and the actual capacity. We need to address this disconnect if we have to move forward with strengthening the health system.

I always seek feedback from respondents immediately following an assessment. One of the statements that gives me satisfaction and makes it all worth is when the respondents said (I am paraphrasing here) "many people have come and gone in the name of capacity building assessments...you are the first person who has approached it comprehensively and has a plan". I will share the results once we finalize the report with feedback from the ministry. Until then, I am going to be spending numerous late nights writing the results and a plan of action.

I promise I will write something fun in the next post...food or about animals :)

Professor Moominpappa

Last week was the most professionally fulfilling week since I've been here. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, despite the drama and frustrations. But work is all I was doing since landing in Monrovia more than 3 months ago. I have accomplished a lot (according to USAID), and still felt I am not doing enough for Liberia. Well, now I don't feel lacking anymore.

Some of my friends know I like teaching. I was guest lecturing and assisting my friend/ colleague Christina in teaching a Masters level public health course at UIC before coming to Liberia. I never imagined myself being a professor (even a assistant or associate professor), but I enjoy teaching. Two weeks ago I mentioned to our Chief of Party (COP) that I miss teaching. Our COP is an Americo-Liberian woman, she was a practicing pediatrician in Monrovia before leaving the country many years ago. Besides running the largest US government health project in Liberia, she also teaches at the local university. A day after I mentioned to her that I miss teaching, she asks if I would like to give a guest lecture in her class. Imagine my joy when I resoundingly said yes!

Last week was my guest lecture. I was taken to Cuttington University by our COP. You should see the looks I got when she introduced me as the guest lecturer. I guess the students were expecting someone around our COP's age, not a young(er) professional. However, they were all eager to listen to what I had to say. I was surprised to find one of my staff members in the class. Even though I am her supervisor, I haven't been able to connect much with her (outside of work) because of our schedules. She commented "you are my supervisor and now you are my instructor as well". I hope that's not a bad thing!

Students work in teams to identify risk factors for health problems

The course that our COP teaches is titled "Primary Health". A perfect conduit to teach about public health. Since I don't believe in lecturing for more than 30 minutes, I made a short power point presentation. I then gave an exercise to work that lasted for an hour. I split the class in to teams and each team worked on identifying risk factors for a different health problem. I admire the tenacity of the students. Imagine sitting in a room with no air/ fan in a 100F humid temperature for 2-3 hours for each course. Some of them do it all day when they have back to back classes. I was soaked in sweat within the first 15 minutes of my lecture, I can only imagine how these students do it every day. I took encouragement from the students and kept on with the lecture even though I was dripping buckets of sweat. These students are my inspiration.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the exercise. Each team had arguments and discussions, but they all came to consensus in the end. In fact, when I asked what's the most important lesson of this exercise, their answer was "team work". You have no idea how happy that made me. We all know how important it is to work in teams, but team work has an added significance in a country like Liberia that has been torn apart due to internal differences. They really need team work here, at all levels.

More student teams working on the exercise

I think the best sign of a successful lecture is when students ask you to come back. At the end of the class, when I asked if they have any questions, they all said "we hope you come back!". Yes students, I will be back. I will definitely be back now that I have found my favorite way to contribute to Liberia outside work. Just call me Professor Moominpappa and I will be at your service!

Lowise's Bar & Restaurant and the glory of palm butter

I love everything about food. I like knowing where it comes from, how it is prepared, what ingredients go in a particular dish, the smells, the taste, the experience, everything. I should be morbidly obese considering my love for food, but I've managed to stay in shape because I practice mindful bingeing. It is a delicate balance of being cognizant of what I eat and eating copious amounts of food frequently.

I could be like most expats here and bring my own lunch (sandwiches anyone?), but I like to experience local flavor and explore. Most of my local staff eat at a place called Lowise's Restaurant (yes, that is how it is spelled). It is pronounced Louise. I have been eating at Lowise's for almost a month with no problems. I usually have someone fetch it for me because I am running in between meetings or buried in papers, but once in a while I walk over and eat at Lowise's. It is only a block away from my office. The restaurant serves only one special every day. They have the standard dish - dry fish and rice - and one daily special. I can never remember the schedule of daily specials, but I particularly like some of the specials. Cabbage with fish, and potato greens with fish are my favorite. I specify fish because if you don't, you will end up with a melange of meat in your dish. I have identified pork knuckles, beef rib tips, chicken feet, and fish heads...all in one bowl. As adventurous as I am, I prefer to eat one kind of meat at a time. I am not a big fan of beef, I prefer my pork in the form of bacon and pork belly, and I like my chicken feet in black bean sauce (dim sum). So, I stick to ordering my dishes with fish alone. Liberians tend to use almost every part of an animal, so expect to see fish heads, fins, tail, pretty much everything in a dish. Here is a picture of the daily standard dish - dry fish and rice. They say it is dry fish, but it is a whole fish, usually a snapper, deep fried and served with jollof rice. It is quite delicious, if I may say. Look at the teeth on that fish. One of my friends said it looks angry. Of course it is angry, it's been fried to death!

Dry fish and rice

Let's talk about Lowise's Bar & Restaurant. It is quite dingy, inside and out, but the food is good. Service varies by day. I have seen the same lady serve us patrons. Some days she is cheerful and makes small talk, some days she is just plain grumpy and mean. She looks young, talks on the phone a lot when she is not serving, and on some days her accent is difficult to understand. She adds charm to an otherwise dull restaurant. The music is always loud at Lowise's, almost to the point where you have to scream your order. I have suggested a few times they may want to tone it down, but they don't listen. Now I just scream my order. One of these days I hope to catch a glimpse of Lowise. All I know is that she is cooking in the back, she never makes an appearance in the restaurant. As the name suggests, there is a bar inside. It is quite small and they carry beer, water, soft drinks, and energy drinks. I don't drink at work, so I haven't tried any beer. Below is a picture of Lowise's restaurant. I have to give credit to Michael for taking this picture.

Lowise's  Bar & Restaurant

Today's daily special is palm butter. I have heard a lot about this dish since arriving in Liberia. Locals claim that, even though you can find this dish in other African countries, nobody makes it like the Liberians. Beautiful red palm fruits are mashed to create an oily sauce and meat is added. The mashing is done with hands, not a machine. Needless to say, it is a laborious process. As you may know, palm oil is very high in cholesterol. It is not good for your heart, but like most stuff that is not good for you, it is very tasty. The dish is called palm butter, because it practically is meat in a sauce that looks like melted butter. Very unhealthy but oh so tasty! I avoided it since arriving in Liberia because I am afraid of the fat content. I finally caved in and ordered it. I saw the table next to me order it and it looked and smelled delicious. My verdict: it is glorious, but too heavy for my arteries. I may have it once a year. I want to live long enough to visit various countries.

Here is a picture of the culprit. I scooped out SEVEN tablespoons of palm oil before taking this picture, and it still looks greasy. That should tell you how unhealthy it is. As mentioned earlier, there is some mystery meat in it because I forgot to mention "fish only". I was not able to figure out the meat, for all I know it is a part of a cow or Baboon (which is not uncommon here). Did I eat it all, including the mystery meat? You betcha!

Palm butter with mystery meat

In other news, Michael and I went to Miami Beach over the weekend. As I mentioned to my friend who lives near the real Miami Beach, the one in Liberia differs from the one in Florida in two aspects: amount of silicone and number of people. Usually it is just Michael and I on the beach, except for some days when someone brings their dogs to the beach (see picture below). There was a football (soccer for you Americans) match happening on the beach when we went, just a few guys kicking the ball around. We stayed for a while until the sun became intense and came back home.

Dog days at the beach

There is a bar on Miami Beach, which plays dance music at a deafening level all the time. As we were leaving the beach, the bar owner came over and talked to us. His name is Sunshine. I am not kidding. We didn't stay at the bar, but Sunshine invited us to come back again in the evening. One of these days we will take him up on the invitation.

A lot is happening on the work front. I got promoted as the Director of Capacity Building and Health Systems Strengthening in less than 2 months of being here. With promotion comes more tasks, drama, and the responsibility to supervise more staff. I realize it is part of the equation and I am thoroughly enjoying all of it. I will write more about work in the next post. Till then, cheers to palm butter!

What does it mean to build capacity and strengthen a health system??

The one question I have been trying to get answered, since I've been here. I may finally have an answer by the end of this month. I have to warn my friends reading this post: it is going to be all about work, no personal or fun stuff here.

Plato once said "the beginning is the most important part". I always believe the beginning of a project sets a tone for what's to come. One of the preliminary and major tasks of building capacity in health systems is to "define" what building capacity means for the recipient. Some call it developing a "vision". Whatever terminology you may prefer, the common understanding is that the recipient should be able to "define/ envision" what building capacity means for them.

My priority task, since I've arrived in Monrovia, has been to help/ guide/ persuade the Ministry of Health come up with an idea of what building capacity means for them. Why is this important? I'll give you another quote (I am full of these quotes today). To paraphrase what H. James Harrington wrote in Business Process Improvement:

"In order to strengthen/ change a system you have to control it;
in order to control a system you have to understand it;
in order to understand a system you have to measure it"

In my quest to strengthen/ change the health system in Liberia, I realize the need to measure it. Measurement requires definition. That is why I need the ministry to define building capacity and strengthening the health system. I could do it myself (I am thoroughly capable and competent), but I am not here to tell people what to do. I am not a dictator (although, in my spare time, I pretend to be one wearing a ridiculous crown). I am here to help, enable, and advise. So I proposed a few definitions and helped facilitate a discussion. We are making progress in coming up with a common vision.

Few days ago I delivered a talk to the senior leadership at the Ministry. It was well received, they were engaged in the discussion, and the best outcome - they agreed to finalize the vision for capacity building very soon. I am happy about this development. Now that I am gathering stakeholder participation and support - a vital component of strengthening a system - I am focusing on stakeholders at both central and county/ district level. The central ministry has heard (and got on board) with my strategy to build their capacity and strengthen the system, now it is the county and district health departments to get on board. In order to accomplish this buy-in, I will be traveling to the counties - Lofa, Nimba, and Bong - next week. I will present my strategy, introduce the instruments, and seek feedback.

The framework I am following to strengthen Liberian health system and build capacity is the WHO framework. It describes six building blocks that form the basis of a health system. Building Block 6 - Leadership and Governance - is the one that interests me the most. I strongly believe leadership capacity is the one that guides the other five building blocks. Allow me to share a diagram from the WHO framework

Six building blocks of a health system

As you can see, all building blocks work in unison towards creating/ strengthening a health system, but leadership is the one that guides other building blocks.

I believe we need strong leadership and a capacity to govern fairly in order to have a viable health system. Leadership is something that is lacking in the health system here. There are a few people at the central ministry who understand the importance of leadership and see the big picture, like Deputy Health Minister Yah Zolia, but leadership at county and district level is severely lacking. One of my objectives in building capacity for the ministry is to build their leadership capacity. I will be conducting an assessment of current leadership in the ministry - both at the central and county level - to identify issues that plague leadership. This assessment will help us develop a strategy to build leadership capacity.

Of course leadership is only one of the six building blocks of a health system. There are five other blocks for me to focus...and they will all receive due attention. I am using resources from WHO and CDC to create assessment tools for the Liberian ministry. These tools have been adapted and tested in other countries. I have first hand experience with these tools, having adapted and implemented them to health systems in Israel and India. I do not have to tell you that post-conflict systems are a completely different ball game. There are developed systems (US and most of Europe), emerging systems (India), and then there are post-conflict systems. There are not many frameworks/ instruments that have been developed specifically for post-conflict health systems, and that puts the burden on people like me to adapt existing frameworks to post-conflict settings. I like the burden because I like a good challenge. In the beginning I thought it feels like going back to the drawing board, but I have come to realize it is not even that. It is more like understanding that I need a board and pencils to draw, then embarking on a journey to procure the board and pencils before I begin drawing on a board. That's the level of  system in a post-conflict setting. Needless to say, it is challenging but extremely rewarding.

I have a lot of work ahead. We will start assessing baseline capacity next month and that will lead us to developing a capacity building and health system strengthening strategy. Analyzing the data and developing a strategy will take 2-3 months. We intend to start implementing our activities in June. I see a poetic sense of beginning because June is also the rainy season. To me, rain has always symbolized the beginning of a new adventure. It will be perfect for our adventure to begin in June.

I promise the next post will be not as dry as this one. I will add more personal and fun stuff, perhaps some pictures, for my friends.

...and the Harmattan winds blow

Last week was quite interesting... and spectacular in some ways. I haven't witnessed the beauty of Harmattan since I stopped living in Algeria and traveling in countries like Chad and Mali. I should say I forgot Harmattan exists. Well, I was reminded of the beauty of Harmattan last week.

There is nothing like it. I didn't know Harmattan winds blow all the way down to Monrovia. Imagine an entire city covered in a cloud for almost a week, only the cloud happens to be a dust cloud. It is eerily beautiful, but very discomforting simultaneously. The fine sand and dust in the air make it difficult to breathe, especially if you have allergies. The temperature falls, it is dry as a bone, and there is no sun for days. On one hand it is a good thing because you don't sweat profusely, but at the same time it is not a good feeling when you have to breathe dust.

They say entire cities come to a standstill because of Harmattan. Monrovia is not that dramatic, but there were a few flight cancellations. Still, nothing to put an entire city in a standstill. I wanted to take pictures but it doesn't matter because the pictures just look dark.

I am glad the winds blew away, because I was tired of not being able to breathe and see the sun. As hot as it is when there is sun, it is still better than being in a dust storm.

We are back to being sunny and hot again. This week is turning out to be quite productive and busy. Michael is adjusting well and he has seen more Monrovia in the last few days than I have seen in the last month. I am happy he is not a typical American expat shielded in his own bubble. More about work in the next post.

Happy Friday...Michael arrives!!

Michael arrives this evening. I am super thrilled. It has been 5 long weeks since I left him in Chicago. I was worried for a moment because all flights to Monrovia were canceled on Wednesday due to a thick haze. We haven't seen sun in Monrovia in 4 days. The entire city is covered in haze. It looks beautiful at times, and I am happy the temperature fell down because of it. No more sweating profusely.

It is funny that our air shipment and Michael are arriving on the same flight. It's funny because the air shipment left Chicago three weeks ago and we have been joking that it will get here at the same time as Michael, even though it is supposed to take 6-8 days to arrive.

Work is going well. I gave a presentation to USAID (where all our money comes from) yesterday about our strategy for this year. USAID invited other teams as well - municipal water, sanitation and hygiene, education, etc. The US government is the single largest bilateral donor to Liberia, so USAID is doing extensive work in this country - ranging from forest preservation to health care. Our strategy received the most accolades of all. Of course it did, I developed and presented it (bragging much?)! I am proud to report that other ministries in Government of Liberia look up to the Health Ministry as a model to follow. A good reason for that is the work done, and continuing to be done, by our project. You can say we are the flagship project of USAID health initiatives, not only in Liberia, but in similar post-conflict countries.

I am planning my trips to the "bush" (local term for rural areas). I should start traveling to Bong, Lofa, and Nimba counties in two weeks. I will be visiting Gbarnga (Bong), Voinjama (Lofa), and Sanniquelle (Nimba) - all county capitals. I might even take Michael with me, if he doesn't mind traveling through the jungle with bare necessities. I am going to visit health centers in these counties, introduce myself, and present them my strategy to strengthen their health system. I shouldn't be using ambitious terms like "health system", because what currently exists is bare bones. My goal is to build a viable system that sustains itself after most international aid disappears. You never know about aid money in the current economic situation, you have to be self-sustainable, at least to the extent of providing certain basic health services.

Anyway, that's my work update for the week. Tomorrow is a holiday in Liberia - Armed Forces Day. However, unlike the US, we do not observe holidays that fall on a weekend on a succeeding/ preceding work day. I was informed that if a holiday falls on a Saturday, you do not get Friday off. However, if the holiday falls on a Sunday, you get Monday off. It doesn't make any sense, just like a lot of other things in Liberia. So here we are, working on a Friday. I should take a hint from the Europeans and go on a strike for denying me a long weekend. I am more concerned that everything will be closed for two days. We already know everything shuts down on Sunday...and I mean, everything!! Now I have to add Saturday to the list because of this holiday. I better shop for groceries, water, beer, etc., this evening. 

Since I like talking about food, below is a picture of a local crab seller. The pic is not very clear, but that is him dangling a big beautiful blue crab. He stands on the street corner, a block from our house, and sells fresh seafood, whatever he gets from the ocean that morning. Some days it is blue crabs, other days it is fish. I have seen beautiful blue crabs and mega-sized tuna (at least 6 feet long). I cannot wait for our kitchen stuff to arrive in the air shipment so Michael and I can have some crab claws. Yeah!!

That's it folks! I will post more next week after Michael settles down. Have a great weekend!

My first month in Liberia

Saturday, February 4, was my one month anniversary of living in Monrovia. It has been a whirlwind journey. From being recruited to work on rebuilding the Liberian health system to getting married and moving across continents, it all happened very fast. One month I was shuttling between Chicago, Boston, and New York, and the next month I am in Liberia. Not on a visit, but to live here for two years. Moving across continents is not a new concept for me. I moved from India to Algeria when I was 11 months old, thus starting my nomadic life. Since then I have lived in 7 countries. This is another step in my nomadic existence. However, the main difference is that I now have a loving partner to do it with me.

Now I am here, in Liberia, a post-conflict country with a rich history that has been through a devastating civil war lasting almost 14 years. Liberians are resilient and committed than ever to rebuild their country under the leadership of President Sirleaf. Also known as Ma Ellen to the locals, the president is a Nobel peace prize winner with a great vision to rebuild Liberia. The United States government is the single largest bilateral aid donor to Liberia, which leads to the reason how I ended up here.

The US government's work towards rebuilding Liberian health care is contracted to a few development agencies. JSI Research and Training Institute, the non-profit arm of John Snow, Inc., is the largest contractor. I was recruited by JSI in December 2011 to rebuild/ strengthen the Liberian health system and build capacity. My prior work in other countries impressed them. Accepting the position meant moving to Monrovia for a period of two years. There you have it folks, that's how I came to live in Monrovia.

In the one month I've been here, I've met with all the senior management in the ministry of health, presented them with my strategy to build capacity and strengthen the health system, won approval of the Ministry and USAID for my strategy, found livable housing, and interviewed staff to work with me. It was all made possible with love from my partner, encouragement from friends and family, and support from my boss and colleagues. I truly cherish everything that's been given to me.

Health Minister Dr. Walter Gweningale speaking at an event where our project dedicated the newly rebuilt Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts to the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare 

February begins a hectic month of finalizing the tools I am proposing to assess current capacity of the ministry of health, and planning my travel to the "bush" - local slang for rural areas. I am looking to visit Lofa, Nimba, and Bong counties, where most of our work is concentrated. I have to hire three Capacity Building Officers to work under my guidance to build capacity and strengthen county health systems. And I have to submit abstracts for the APHA annual conference - my favorite professional organization. I am excited about February because Michael arrives this month. January has flown by quickly, yet it seems like forever since I left home and my beloved in Chicago. We will be reunited this weekend.

Internet in Liberia is highly unreliable and painfully slow. It is a glorious day when we get dial-up speed. I haven't been able to Skype reliably since I've been here and I have to downsize any pics if I want to email them. I would love to do a video blog, but it seems next to impossible considering the internet bandwidth. I have quickly adjusted to the food, or lack thereof, here. Most food in Liberia has to be imported because there is not much infrastructure to grow anything here, most of it was destroyed during the civil war. Almost all food is expensive, except for fruits and fish that you buy at the local market. There are 4 main super markets in town, all look like a glorified 7-11. Don't expect to find anything more than basics. I was told that I should be happy to have not one but two varieties of pasta at the supermarket. Since most food is imported, it shows in the prices. There are a few decent restaurants in town, most of them run by the Lebanese community, but I am yet to have decent hummus or kefta. I haven't tried all restaurants yet, but I am on a mission to find decent Lebanese food. Like most English speaking African countries, there is a sizable Indian community, although not as big as Kenya or South Africa. There is even a makeshift Sikh Gurudwara in town.

One of my favorite topics to discuss is food. I should weigh 300lbs with my love for food, but that's another topic altogether. Local Liberian food is quite interesting. Rice or fufu form the most essential part of any meal. Fufu feels like a thick ball of dough, made from the root of cassava plant. Fufu is usually served with pepper soup, which is a thin stew of different kinds of meat. Sounds delicious, but it may be shocking to some of us to find four different kinds of meat in one soup. Expect to find a chicken leg, a beef rib, some part of pig with bone and a dense layer of fat, and a fish head... all cooked in a spicy soup. Other traditional dishes I've tried: dry fish and rice (jollof rice served with a whole deep fried snapper), potato greens and rice (once again, multiple meats cooked in a sauce made of "potato" leaves), palaver sauce (different meats cooked in a onion and tomato sauce), and the worst of all torborgee (a stew made with red beans and different meats). Do you all see the theme here? Liberians put any and every meat the can find and cook them in one dish. Liberian food is a vegetarian's nightmare, there is meat (not the good kind) in almost every dish. I have come to like the potato greens when made with chicken or fish. You have to specify about wanting only one kind of meat (I ask for chicken or fish), and you will be ok. Otherwise, expect to eat different parts from different animals and fish. Like most countries in the region, it is difficult getting a decent cocktail. I have come to adapt to that as well. It only makes me appreciate a dirty martini more than ever.

I think this blog entry is getting too long. I have a lot to report and I will post another entry soon. Next time I will not wait a month to post an entry. I have to say I am truly thankful for the love and support from my family, friends, mentors and colleagues. I promise to stay in touch and keep you updated. In the meanwhile, enjoy a picture of my real back yard. It is called Miami Beach... I am not even joking.

Miami Beach - also known as my backyard in Monrovia