Unfortunately, even in the U.S. there are populations with high cervical cancer rates. We are building knowledge in this West African rural setting that could foster the health of families everywhere, even in Carl Junction. Furthermore, we are working alongside the Peace Corps through an innovative partnership model in a manner that could pave the way for others to conduct future projects.
Our team's work in Senegal is evidence of the best of what America stands for. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funding, and recently the Fogarty Center awarded the project a five-year grant.
The historical impact of the public agencies with whom we work is undeniable. Since 1968, the Fogarty Center has had a footprint in over 100 countries, building knowledge by collaborating with the world's leading scientists. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has sent volunteers to more than 141 countries. There is no measure for the benefit they have had on our global society.
We have much to lose far beyond our single project in Senegal. As a society, our families and communities — hence, our humanity — is the ultimate goal. We all work because there is meaning behind it. Not just in words but in actual, life-altering, honest-to-goodness meaning.
Now, as I sit in 107-degree temperatures preparing for a meeting with local public health workers, I am a long way from where I grew up, but in my heart I have never left. I am calling home, where I was educated in public institutions. I am calling all of you who believe in the health of a mother and in the care of all families and communities. Please urge our leaders to stand together for our values. "Osu kafun yani."
Andrew Dykens, M.D., M.P.H., is an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago and conducts research in Senegal, West Africa.
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