As a follow up to my previous post. I decided to go to the holy grail of info on the web "Google" to see if I could pull up anything on genetic counseling in Kenya. Why I'm I so interested in genetic counseling? Probably has something to do with the fact that I'm in a nerdy environment where I get to see genetic testing done and get to talk about it and hear about it from professionals in the field. Didn't find much but pulled up the following information. Why should we be left behind when projects such as the
Human Genome Project have been completed and can be researched upon to provide answers to some of the diseases that may be inherent in our gene pools and not in others? The quest continues..
http://www.genomecenter.howard.edu/units/genethics/default.htm"...
Engaging African Communities in the HapMap Project – The NHGC is participating in the International Human Haplotype Map (HapMap) Project, aimed at characterizing patterns of common variation across various populations or geographic regions as a means of developing a more efficient tool (haplotype map) for mapping genes underlying susceptibility to common disease. The overall project includes the engagement of a number of communities/populations around the world, collection of samples from members of these populations, genotyping of the samples, and analysis of the resulting data. The NHGC has been leading the effort to engage communities in west (Nigeria), east (Kenya), and southern Africa (South Africa) and to obtain appropriate approval and consent for participation in the HapMap Project. Community engagement involves several activities such as surveys, town meetings, focus groups, and in-depth interviews which combine to create a process for considering the risks, benefits, and relevance of the development of a haplotype map of the human genome. Community engagement and sample collection are proceeding at the sites....."
Here's another abstract that I found..
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/robot_pages/MeetingAbstracts/102276888.html"...
Challenges in supervision of VCT counselors.Waweru HM, Bukusi D, Namwebya JH, Mulindi S, Musau F. Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. B12243.
Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
ISSUES: Different forms of counseling are used at a national referral hospital by counselors as they strive to provide support for patients suffering from. HIV/AIDS. Counselors have to deal with situations ranging from assessing clients risks, preparing clients for testing, test result counseling, identifying sources of support, referrals, negotiating disclosure, bereavement, coping with chronic illness, hopelessness, social and work related issues. They also have to deal with their own personal issues as well as the difficulties of coping in an environment of declining purchasing power. All this takes place within a context in which the position of the counselor is as yet not yet clearly established.
DESCRIPTION: This paper gives an overview of the different issues that the counselors have to deal with in the context of their service delivery and the subsequent challenges faced during supervision provided by counselor supervisors. The adequacy of skills acquired during training to face up to the challenges of supervising counselors, is reviewed.
LESSONS LEARNED: Supervision has been able to help counselors cope with their very heavy client loads especially relating to HIV/AIDS work. Supervision needs to be developed further both in terms of skill levels and in terms of numbers to cater for the large numbers of clients who need counseling.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Supervision should be mandatory in practice at all centers offering counseling. Monitoring of counselor supervisors is an area that needs development. The rapid rise in numbers of counselors calls for the training of many more counselor supervisors to meet the increasing challenges of counseling. Supervision of counseling supervisors needs to be strongly encouraged..."
