By: Fasika Teferra, M.D.
As a healthcare provider and Crohn’s Disease patient, I can tell you that living with IBD in Ethiopia is not easy. Most medications are not so readily available and doctors don’t speak English as their primary language. I hope through this piece of article give you a glimpse of how it is like for an IBD patient in Ethiopia and some tips if you wish to travel to our amazing country that is well known for its 13 months of sunshine!
North Ethiopia | © Ian Swithinbank / Flickr
Most low- and middle-income countries do not have access to quality and affordable medicine and health care. This information is widely known. However, patients and doctors still try to close the gap of this scarce resource and healthcare disparity as much as they can. As an IBD patient, I have had to rely on just oral medications. Other types of medicine are not available yet for IBD in Ethiopia. Managing my Crohn’s through adjunct therapy such as diet and stress control has proven effective for me, personally. When I have to schedule my endoscopy/colonoscopy, I would have to take a few days off work, as bowel preparation takes up to three days. Although medicine and other supportive treatments are not available here, patients still are able to manage their diseases with what they have, and IBD patients also can come to Ethopia and go as they please.
As an IBD patient, I have had to rely on just oral medications. Other types of medicine are not available yet for IBD in Ethiopia.
As an IBD advocate, one thing I have noticed among the diaspora community is fear of travel to other countries. Although it is scary to travel to a new place where you don’t know how the health system works or know a place to turn to, if God forbid, you need to go to the emergency care, I am here to tell you that it is not as bad as it seems. From my personal experience, IBD patients have a better travel experience when they bring a medical summary from their primary doctor to Ethiopia. Should you need an emergency care, just by reading that paper, a GP or gastroenterologist is able to understand your condition. In addition, bringing your own medicine is always a good idea as it is not readily available. If I were to recommend one resource that has helped so many it would be IBD Passport. It has a global database of a lot of GIs, their centre and ways to contact them even before you depart. I know for a fact that I would travel much more comfortably if I knew where to go to if I needed anything.
From my personal experience, IBD patients have a better travel experience when they bring a medical summary from their primary doctor to Ethiopia. Should you need an emergency care, just by reading that paper, a GP or gastroenterologist is able to understand your condition.
Even though it is widely known most of the advance IBD treatments are not available everywhere, that should not be a reason to travel and explore new places. I am sure there are many tools out there that can give some perspective on your destination’s healthcare system but it is always a good idea to research ahead of travel. IBD should not hold you back from adventures!