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.