Amy Hewitt, Partner Development Manager for International Aid, explains the organization's innovative Lab-In-Suitcase program to bring laboratory testing and diagnosis to remote areas.
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2012 International Aid, Inc.
How Your Feedback
Contributes & Strengthens
Partnerships of Healing
Presenter
Presentation Notes
International Aid is a Christian organization focused on providing health resources and medical equipment to our partners who serve people in need. We offer quality reconditioned and sometimes new medical equipment for medical missions, clinics and hospitals in rural areas and for biomedical training programs. Today, I want to focus on our LIS program and how our partnerships over the years have lead to innovations and changes.
Lake Volta Region, Ghana West Africa
“On this past visit in November 2008, we had the absolute luxury of a Lab-In-Suitcase® and a lab technician trained in use of the equipment and the
testing kits. This was set up with solar power in the same area as our clinic. As a result, if it was suspected a child might have malaria, he or she could be
tested and we would know very rapidly if treatment was indicated. Amazingly helpful!”
Josie Stone RN CPNP BD Volunteer
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Children often present
symptoms of cough, fever, malaise, vomiting, diarrhea –
Are these symptoms of malaria
or other common childhood illnesses?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
IA's LIS program flourishes because of partnerships. Relationships based on a heart to serve and a commitment to bring accurate diagnostics to rural areas. First, let me tell you about the LIS and the difference it makes. The LIS is a basic portable lab with its own power source, so it is able to perform many of the basic diagnostic tests requested by field doctors even in areas with intermittent or no electricity. Briefly talk or read the slide.
Lab-In-Suitcase®
2012 International Aid, Inc.
� Performs many of the Doctor
requested standard tests needed in the field
� Optional Fluorescence Lens for detection of TB, Malaria, Parasites
� Important component of Primary Health Care Programs
� Rural and Mobile Clinics � Portable Lab for village Outreach
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The LIS was developed in the mid to late 90s with field tests in Kenya. Over the years we have received excellent feedback from our partners using the LIS, lab experts in global health and clinical lab departments at a few universities, both staff and students. Recent changes include switching to the manual urine centrifuge which allows for bigger samples to be tested and switching to a different colorimeter, one easier to use and better suited to rural clinics.
BUN/Creatinine, Calcium, Glucose, Total Proteins � Hematology: Complete blood count with differentials, ESR,
Hemoglobin & Hematocrit � Optional Items: Pregnancy and Urine test Strips, various
reagents, Rapids Tests, Fluorescence Objective and Light Source
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Lab Capabilities
Uganda – Bishop Stephen Kaziimba
2012 International Aid, Inc.
� Each year approximately 500 adults and children died from Malaria in Buwata
� There was no laboratory to diagnose the disease early and no clinic to treat people back to health.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Here is a somewhat typical LIS story. "Come to the clinic and we may be able to heal your sickness. and let us tell you of God's Love which heals for eternity." these are the words Bishop Steven Kaziimba uses when urging people to use the clinic his diocese established in rural Uganda 4 years ago. Bishop Kaziimba shared with us the burden of malaria in Buwata. In the year prior to the clinic, 500 people - mainly older people and children - had died from malaria. There was no clinic to go to for diagnosis or treatment.
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow! In the 9 months after the clinic was started only 2 children died from Malaria.”
International Aid provided medical equipment and supplies for a clinic including a Lab-In-Suitcase® in Mityana, Uganda.
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
IA provided a clinic including a LIS. Now people in the community had somewhere to go for diagnosis and treatment. in the 9 months following the establishment of the clinic, 2 children died of malaria. a significant change.
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Partnerships of Healing
People Served & Implementing Partner
Presenter
Presentation Notes
So the story of the Buwata clinic is good storytelling. our fundraising staff love it, but it is only a portion of the whole story. It is just scratching the surface. This healing partnership begins with people. The people we serve. Remember - IA is a support ministry, we rely on our partners - the implementing partner if you will - to know the people in the communities, to know their healthcare needs. Our partners gather the statistics - the 500 who lost their lives to malaria. And develop the ministry or program to address the need. It may be a need for a clinic, a hospital, a training program, or to heal obstetric fistulas, or specialize in pediatric orthopedic surgeries or to provide christian healthcare in a muslim region or a closed country such as North Korea. So what does IA bring to the healing partnership?
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Corporate Donors
Vendors
Ministry Support Donors Biomedical Staff
GVSU Clinical Lab Global Health Laboratory Specialists
Presenter
Presentation Notes
We bring the needed medical equipment and other health resources to provide the means to our partners programs. With the LIS - we bring experience. We bring technical knowledge. We bring donors who believe in what our implementing parters are doing and want to support that in a definable, sustainable way thru our equipment. We bring relationships with corporate donors. Which allow us to have a good supply of used medical equipment appropriate for rural and developing area.
2012 International Aid, Inc.
What ties it all together?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
What ties this all together? What brings the knowledge of rural communities and their needs to the knowledge of what is appropriate, sustainable and supportable?
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Feedback. We rely on feedback from our partners. Statistical Feedback such as - "in the 9 months after the clinic was established 2 deaths from malaria" Equipment Feedback such as: we need a urine centrifuge able to handle larger sample sizes. Supply Chain Feedback such as: where can we purchase laboratory supplies in the region? Or: where can we receive training to fix and maintain medical equipment? Or: we need the ability to test for blood type in pregnant women. And, the human interest stories such as: a family came to accept Christ because our clinic was able to diagnose and treat a sick child when the local witch doctor could not.
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Implementing Partner + International Aid + Feedback =
Innovations + Healing Partnerships
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Most organizations do not often think to provide feedback to a supplier. But then again, those of us whose ministry is to support and supply others depend on it. Many realize the importance of human interest stories to report back to donors and impact reports to fulfill grant expectations. We rely on our implementing partners to let us know what works, what doesn't, what is needed and to report the impact of what we do. This is what completes and strengthens healing partnerships.
2012 International Aid, Inc.
Lab-In-Suitcases® Around the World
300 LIS 52 Countries
Afghanistan Armenia Bangladesh Bolivia Cambodia Central African Republic China DR Congo Cote d’Ivoire Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic El Salvador Eritrea
Gabon Ghana Guatemala Guinea Haiti Honduras Indonesia Iraq Kenya Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali
Marshall Islands Mexico Mongolia Mozambique Myanmar Nepal Nicaragua Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Papua New
Guinea Peru Philippines Russia Senegal Sierra Leone Sudan Tanzania Thailand
Tibet Turkey Uganda Zimbabwe
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Because of changes and innovations to the LIS program it continues to impact the lives of people every day in over 50 countries. But Feedback is often the most difficult element to receive from our partners. How can we, as a supply ministry, better ask for and receive YOUR feedback? I am open to ideas and suggestions of how to better work with you in gathering feedback on the equipment or resources obtained from IA.
