By Bimal Rajkomar
Daily Bruin Contributor
Plagued by high unemployment and a lack of primary health care, Armenia has seen hard times since a devastating 1989 earthquake, but thanks to a team of UCLA doctors and nurses, things have gotten a little better.
As part of an alliance between the Erebuni Medical Center/College of Nursing and UCLA Medical Center a team of volunteer UCLA physicians and nurses traveled to the Lori region of Armenia to train health officials last month. The trip was funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency of International Development and the American International Health Alliance.
“I think few people have a picture of what UCLA really does in a humanitarian way,” said Dr. Cynthia Barrett, Program in Multi-National Child Health director. “I think we all feel so lucky in the U.S. because we have a good health care system but we need to realize that there are other places in the world where there is none.”
The delegation sought to expand family practice and primary health care in the region.
This most recent trip to Armenia comes after another UCLA team completed a 1995 program focusing on women’s health and prenatal care. After their involvement, the region’s infant death rate dropped from 25 per 1,000 to 12.
During their trip this May, they focused on cardiac disease related to hypertension, a largely preventable yet common condition in Armenia. Salpy Akaragian, director of the International Nursing Center and one of the trip organizers, attributed the high rates of heart disease to high fat and cholesterol diets, stress, lack of exercise, and genetic predisposition.
“Our goal is to start patient education so people can pay attention to what it is they are eating,” she said. “It’s not going to be an easy task, because it takes a long time for people to change their eating habits, but the first step is to make them aware.”
“Until it becomes part of their lifestyle, I don’t think we’d see the consequences or the outcomes until two to three years, if not longer,” she continued.
The team also organized a health fair to take place in August that will provide patient education as well as collecting baseline statistical data to better understand the needs of the regions.
Akaragian’s involvement with Armenian health care began when she was approached to start a baccalaureate program in nursing, the first of its kind in Armenia. From there her involvement expanded to found a nurses association and a women’s resource center with the help of UCLA volunteers.
Before leaving for the trip, volunteer doctors were given an introduction to current health issues that Armenians face, as well instructed on cultural differences that they will encounter.
“Americans are very open, we talk about everything, how we think, feel – and we express ourselves very openly,” Akaragian said. “The Armenians are very careful how they express themselves and what they say to people. Even if they need something, they will not make that clear to you.”
Despite the hard work and conditions, volunteers came back with favorable impression.
“Of over 60 delegates that we have taken, every single person has asked to go back.” Akaragian said, “They always come back with good impressions, good memories of Armenia and Armenians, and how much they were wanted or appreciated we’ve had people go several times.”
The impact of the UCLA medical staff has reached beyond just those they train.
Those Armenian physicians and nurses who were trained are now traveling to other parts of Armenia and spreading their knowledge to places like Nagorno Karabagh – an Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan which is under a cease-fire since 1994.
The Health Minister of Health at Nagorno Karabagh, Dr. Zoya Lazaryan visited UCLA last Wednesday to see the American health care system as well as help the America health care community understand the needs of the people of her region.
“Even though there is this instability, in the sense that it’s just a cease-fire, we are trying to move from relief to development,” Lazaryan said through a translator.
She also said she wanted to thank the humanitarian aid programs that have helped her region, including the previous UCLA projects. Volunteers from UCLA are planning to continue work in the Lori Region. This June, health care workers from the Lori Region will come to UCLA and this August, another team will return to Armenia for the health fair.