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.