Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Day 2

Right now I am sitting in a library with Bob, pretending to be a graduate student. We are on our first joint research trip and after the second day, I am exhausted. I do not know how he gets through more than one day of looking up the documents, locating them, and then photographing the parts yyou actually need. It is all very interesting to me and there are so many topics here that fascinate me since I have a bit of a medical love. For example, pre 1970 the attempt to defeat malaria was referred to as malaria erradication, but then it switches to the anti malaria campaign and then again to malaria containment. I also found that the WHO and their yearly assemblies wanted to have clean water and sanitation for all by 1990 and health care for all by 2000. We stopped looking at records in 1980, but I can only imagine the dispair as those years approached and then passed.
In non research news, our hostel is fine, the weather is rain then sun and in the 50s. It is expensive like most large cities and we wish we spoke more or any French. Obviously there is internet at the library to keep me awake inbetween document reviewing, but we actually hope to finish up here tomorrow...a day early! Until next time I have a moment or something new to share.

3 comments:

Ruhiyyih Rose said...

Where in the world are you? East Africa?

Bob said...

I am tired just reading what you wrote. Thanks for the update. Love you two.

Leah said...

We are not any where nearly that exotic Roo! We are researching at the World Health Organization in Geneva and we are going through some medical archives, which is why i have seen things about malaria and safe drinking water. In other books I have also seen when they started to become concerned with medical licenses, aircraft disenfection, smoking and car safety. We only went through the World Health Assemblies up until 1980 though!