Tis the Season for Swine Flu

I'm not sure if any of you remember during that month of Swine Flue hysteria in the US, the experts talked about how the disease might have a serious impact in the Southern Hemisphere because of the upcoming Winter. Well Winter has arrived in Argentina and so has the flu.

The past few weeks have been un poco loco and several events are reminding me why Argentina is not a devoloped nation. June 21 marked the first day of Winter, yet the center was not provided with hand gel, alcohol, or masks until today. These are basic neccesities to prevent the flu. Let you remind you the patients who come in have AIDS (meaning weak immune systems) AND there is a new flu virus H1N1 (aka. Gripe A, aka. Gripe Porcina.) Why wasn't this a priority? The general lack of foresight and plannning is something that really bothers me about the culture here. Having come from a wealthy country where it's reasonable to expect things to function (more or less) as they should, it is very hard for me to accept such a failure in disease prevention and control.

I will admit that even if all the neccesary supplies were procured, cultural practices here in Argentina make it very difficult to control infectious diseases, especially the flu. All Argentines greet one another with a beso (a kiss) whether man or woman and spend lots of time sharing mate with one another (using the same straw). It's also very common for Argentines to travel long distances by bus to visit family in different provinces. All these things make life very easy for viruses. Sometimes I put on my Anthropologist spectacles and find it fascinating to observe the health workers struggling against their own culture in order to prevent disease. Doctors have to remind each other not to kiss each other for a greeting and drink mate solo. Since even they break the rules occasionally, imagine how hard it is for the less educated Argentines. It's also interesting that Gripe A is being blamed on the wealthy Agentines because they were the ones who travelled to the US, Mexico, or Europe and brought the virus back home. Blame and accusation go hand and hand with disease, but besides Gout, I can't think of another affliction associated with the wealthy.

Despite all this madness, I am continuing my project despite some changes that I will talk about soon. It's hard to believe I will be leaving the country in just 2 weeks. As my Spanish has improved and I learn more about Argentine life, I am becoming more aggravated by (what I percevie to be) negative aspects of their culture. Nevertheless, this is a very special place and an experience that will be a part of me forever.

Taking Your Medication

It's been two weeks since Yanique visited and I still haven't posted anything about where we went and what we did. I promise, those posts are coming (with plenty of pictures.) Right now I'm back to work at full speed. I only have 2 weeks left and am trying to get as much done as possible. Things have been getting a little crazy at the center with the elections coming (June 28), strikes almost every week, and a mysterious case of missing (and very expensive) HIV medication. So as I get to work, I will leave you with an interesting article I found about a new technology that could reward patients for drug compliance. I think it's a great idea. What do you think?

Monitor: Taken your medicine? | The Economist


Note: Tuberculosis (TB) treatment is called "compliance" because it is a mandatory, supervised program that last a set amount of time. HIV treatment is called "adherency" because it is medication a patient must take the rest of his life.

San Carlos de Bariloche

Thanks to the kindness of my supervisor, I was able to take a week off from work and travel when Yanique came to visit. We wanted to see the Igauzu waterfalls in the North, but we were told a drought in Brazil made them temporarily less impressive. Plus it's always a good idea to play it safe with Dengue fever, considering all the havoc it wreaked in the Northern provinces just a few months ago.

Bariloche is a ski resort town located in Southwest Argentina, in the area they call Patagonia. While it was not quite ski season (despite the lack of snow, it was suppose to begin in two weeks), we were able to hike the mountains and enjoy the beautiful lake scenery. We traveled in very Argentine fashion, arranging the trip at a travel agent down the block, and going by bus. I think part of the reason we got such a good deal was because most foreigners don't book their trips through small agents in towns like La Plata. And it's no secret foreigners (especially estadounidenses) pay a higher price for everything here in Argentina. As for the bus ride, well, it took 20 hours. Although I really can't compain because they served us decent food, provided movies, blankets, and even alcohol. Also, the seats are comfortable and they recline almost 180 degrees.

As you can see from these pictures, we had a great time. The food was more expensive than La Plata or Buenos Aires, but if any low-budget travellers are reading this: the restaurant Lo de Tony was some of the best pizza I've tasted in Argentina and was surprisingly affordable. Our hotel, Hotel Tivoli, was budget (two stars) and was included in the package but it was comfortable and an upgrade from the hostels I've gotten accostomed to. Our excurcions included Cerro Catedral (the large mountain) and Circuito Chico (the view with the lakes.) Both were very pretty. There were many other excurcions such as hiking, rafting, forests, and visiting islands we did not get to. We got a little slowed down by all the delicious chocolates, ice cream, and alfojors sold all over the town. Well worth it.