Boxes of gloves, respirators, intravenous solution, sanitizing wipes, and face shields: This is just a sample of what is in a shipment of excess medical supplies that Dana-Farber has prepared to send to hospitals in need in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Institute is fortunate to be sitting on a glut of certain medical supplies that were difficult to come by after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains. Instead of letting this inventory potentially expire, the distribution team, led by Andrew Madden, has been finding creative ways to put it to use, including a recent donation to a wildlife refuge. This idea came to David Read, vice president of Medical Oncology, and Timothy Rebbeck, PhD, director for the Center for Global Health Equity, through longtime collaborator and president emeritus Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD. Benz sits on the advisory board of the nonprofit Kulungu Corporation, an organization run by Congolese-native Bienvenu Kulungu, that seeks to improve healthcare in the DRC. “Our mission to reduce the burden of cancer does not end at the borders of Massachusetts,” Read says. “We have and will continue to partner with international organizations to help patients across the world.” For years, the eastern part of the African country has been ravaged by conflict between government forces, militia groups, and international armies vying for control of the DRC’s wealth of natural resources. Seven million people have been displaced by the violence and thousands have been killed. According to a 2017 United States Agency for International Development report, an estimated 70% of Congolese have little to no access to health care, and hospitals lack personnel and equipment. That situation has predictably worsened due to the ongoing fighting. “We are so grateful for these supplies,” says Kulungu. “They will help the Congolese people immensely.” It pains Kulungu to see his country struggling. “It is a place of much potential,” he explains. His nonprofit arose from a desire to help and was inspired by his father’s efforts to do the same before him. In many ways, their journeys mirror one another. His father attended university in the states before going back to the DRC, using his education to serve his community. Kulungu also came to the U.S. for an education and completed his bachelor's at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “I never forgot my home country,” he says. “I was always thinking about how I could use my education to help.” It was here that he had the chance to meet accomplished physicians like Benz and others working in the Boston area who encouraged him to start a non-profit. The Kulungu Corporation was founded in 2015 and has since been able to provide equipment to clinics and fund the training of medical personnel and projects to improve access to clean water. Dana-Farber's shipment represents one of the biggest donations Kulungu has received. “It will save lives,” he says.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Post
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Director of Business Development - Tips for work and life: Show up early. Work hard. Stay humble. Be positive. Be a team player. Never let a task be too little, but have faith, knowing no task is ever too big either.
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1moAll Comprehensive Cancer Centers needs to be involved in global work to reduce the burden of cancer around the world.