Lessons learned from history

A queue of Samburu people awaiting medical attention

With hindsight, we were not surprised that the Samburu had been hit by cholera; trachoma is endemic and the two diseases affect very similar socio-economic groups. Indeed Moorfields Eye Hospital was founded in 1805 to deal with an epidemic of trachoma in London, just before the world’s first cholera pandemic also hit London in 1835. However once the sewerage and public health of the capital were improved, both diseases faded out in the UK; those esteemed surgeons at Moorfields had to find other ophthalmic diseases to treat!

There is an important lesson to be learnt from this historical vignette; education and public health, such as improving water supplies are far more critical than medicine and surgery in eradicating this type of disease which is spread from person to person through lack of hygiene or contaminated water.

I feel enormously privileged to be given the opportunity to work amongst these people and spend time in Africa this year, thanks to the Keeler Scholarship. I will look back at my experiences this year with great fondness as I put to good use all the skills I have learned in Cardiff, our new home.

The Cardiff Millenium Stadium

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