I met Carolyn Miller, CEO of Merlin and Esther McVey at Heathrow to catch plane to Casablanca (no time to play it once, let alone again!). We caught our connection to Monrovia, arriving around 2am local time (one hour ahead of UK). We then had a 45min drive in the dark to Monrovia and our hotel. We have had very little sleep, and were woken up by torrential equatorial rain dropping noisily on tin roofs. Reminded me of my old boarding school days in the foothills of the Himalayas!
Had a very busy day. We met the Minister of Health (a surgeon), the President - an amazing woman who has been President for four years or so and has made a huge difference to the country, and the WHO Director for Liberia. We visited a Merlin Women and Child Health Clinic, and met the Dean of the Medical School (only qualify 13 per year!) and many others. The Maternity Clinic was run by committed Merlin charity workers. Very noisy with screaming chidren - one of whom was a six-month old with probable malaria. It was very depressing seeing an 11-year old girl having counselling for HIV and a pregnant girl who was only 13 year's old. Much of it was rudimentary but making a significant differnece.
It is very hot and humid with mosquitos flying around. An epidemic of malaria - falciparam.
Tomorrow we leave early for a four-hour drive to Buchanan.
All very fascinating!
Best Wishes,
Parveen
Parveen
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