D.C. Doctor Working to Save Mike, Other Ugandan Kids at Risk of Preventable Death

Andrea Beaton was being practical. One of the final requirements of the global health track of her general pediatric residency program was spending eight weeks working in a developing country. Knowing that a leader at her next employer already was doing amazing work in Uganda, off she went to that impoverished-yet-improving African nation. Her aim was studying a rare heart muscle disease. Instead, she was overwhelmed by something so basic, so simple. Sore throats. In Uganda, sore throats -- strep, actually -- are so common that kids don't complain about it and aren't treated for it. This can create problems in their heart valves. And for some children, each round of strep causes more problems to those valves. This can lead to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a painful path to death. RHD once tormented our country, too. I'm proud to say that stomping it was among the first great feats by my organization, the American Heart Association. Dr. Beaton knew that and wanted to help do the same in Uganda. This was just a few years ago, in 2009. She returned for six months in Kampala, the capital city, and has since launched a program in the Northern Ugandan city of Gulu that not only treats RHD but, most of all, detects it in kids who are in such early stages that they aren't showing any signs. The results are terrific, as is the growth and the potential for the program to be expanded and replicated throughout Uganda. As we continue celebrating the season of giving, Dr. Beaton's...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news