Eight years ago what started as a family trip to visit the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat turned out to be an eye opener for me. We were excited to arrive in Phnom Penh. But what greeted us was a bit alarming. As we entered the city we saw banners and notices warning people about Dengue fever and malaria. We were aware of drug resistance malaria being prevalent in that part of the world but had no idea about the seriousness of the problem. It hit home even harder when our local guide/ tuk tuk driver’s young son got sick while we were there and almost died. Our driver, his father had no resources to take his son to the hospital nor could he afford to miss work to seek help for his son. It was heart wrenching to hear that and so my family got involved and took Rithy, the boy, to the local hospital and got him timely care. While at the hospital I saw several such kids laying helplessly on gurneys too tired to even pray for recovery. I befriended Rithy and gave him courage despite the language barrier. Three days later he was better and back at home. Just as we were ready to come back home he gave me his tiny toy as a token of gratitude for helping him get better.
It was not until I had reached the safety of my home and the luxuries of basic cleanliness did I realize the depth of what I had just witnessed. The living conditions and the health risks that people face elsewhere was shocking. My interest in medicine compounded by the urge to know more about malaria led me on a quest for research on that topic. Recognizing the unbelievable statistics such as; a child dies from malaria every minute was astounding. The fact that malaria is preventable and yet it is spreading in epidemic proportions was unacceptable. The drug resistance that is developing at such high speeds doesn’t help the situation any, was mind-boggling. This instilled a goal and a mission in my mind. I made a commitment to myself to do research in the field of malaria to develop stronger, more effective drugs. But I also wanted to do more than just research and develop drugs. I wanted to do something to increase awareness amongst people in the epidemic areas about preventive measures and assist them in accessing health care. I wanted to bring a similar awareness to people in this country about the nature and problems with malaria and get them involved in many different ways, to help make a difference in others. Thus I embarked on my mission 3 years ago, to be a vector to change the direction of the monster called Malaria. My goal is to take small steps and make a difference in the society one family at a time and be part of global health in the future. The toy Rithy gave me reminds me of what I had witnessed and what my aim should be for the future.
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