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Tuberculosis Prevention
and Treatment
Since 1990, LML has invested heavily in TB
treatment by purchasing TB medicine and test
kits that treated over 13,000 adults and
children throughout Lithuania. The majority of
the children treated are orphans. Lithuania
must continue to respond forcefully to the
aggressive global spread of new strains of TB.
As recently as March 2007, LML has purchased TB
medicines for the Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Hospital in Šiauliai and the Children’s TB
Hospital in Vilnius.
Breast Cancer
Prevention
In
the United States, it is customary for women
over the age of forty to receive annual
mammograms for early detection of breast
cancer. In Lithuania, many women have not yet
received a single mammogram. For many years,
access to free mammograms was limited to women
who were referred by a physician or were over
the age of 50. Otherwise, women were charged
approximately 50 LTL ($19 US), (monthly minimum
wage, 300-500 LTL) for the procedure at public
clinics. Private diagnostic centers performed
analyses for 100 to 1,000 LTL. In 2007,
Lithuania’s health care system began to provide
free mammograms to all women between 49 and 60
years of age. Nevertheless, women in small
towns and rural areas often lack transportation
to mammography facilities that provide free
testing.
LML Annual Mammogram
Program
Without education and timely screening,
Lithuania’s survival statistics were dismal with
as many as one in two women tested dying from
the disease. LML first responded by
distributing pamphlets promoting early
screening. Next, LML initiated an annual free
screening program in 2003. LML coordinates free
transportation, courtesy of the local
governments, to bring women from smaller towns
and rural areas to oncology centers in Vilnius,
Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevežys and Kaunas.
Special provisions are made to accommodate
women with disabilities. From 2003-2006 this
project provided screening mammograms to over
1,300 women annually, diagnosing several women
in time for life-saving treatment. To date,
this program reached over 5,200 disadvantaged
women across Lithuania from these cities,
districts and surrounding regions:
Adomynė, Akmenė, Anykščiai, Ariogala, Avižėnai,
Avižai, Babtai, Balsiai, Biržai, Dagiliškis,
Dambrava, Didžašalis, Didžioji Riešė, Diliauskai,
Dolmenkava, Dominikova, Eišiškis, Elektrėnai,
Ežerskė, Garliava, Gipiškaičiai, Griešiai,
Grigiškė, Jonava, Joniškis, Jurbarkas,
Kaišiadorys, Kalneliškis, Kaunas, Kėdainiai,
Kelmė, Klaipėda, Kretinga, Krinčinas, Kudirkos
Naujmiestis, Kupiškis, Lazdijai, Lentvaris,
Maišiagala, Makiškėliai, Mažeikiai,
Meškaliauskis, Molainiai, Molėtai, Naujoji
Akmenė, Nemenčinė, Neringa, Nureonys, Paberžė,
Palanga, Pakruojis, Panevėžys, Pandelys,
Pasvalys, Paupėniai, Plungė, Prienai,
Radviliškis, Ramygala, Raseiniai, Raubonys,
Raudondvaris, Rokiškis, Šalčininkai, Saločiai,
Saločkoniai, Šakiai, Šilalė, Šiauliai, Šilainiai,
Šilutė, Širvinta, Skaidiškė, Skuodas, Švenčionys,
Švenčionėliai, Tauragė, Telšiai, Ukmergė, Utena,
Vaišvydava, Vilnius, Vilkaviškis, Visaginis,
Vistyčiai, Žibartoniai, Žilpamušis, Zujūnai and
many small neighboring villages.
LML’s initiative inspired other similar outreach
programs such as Avon’s breast cancer programs
and Nedelsk! (Don’t Delay!) to also travel
widely across Lithuania’s countryside to
thirty-one towns and villages, supported by our
active participation.
Recognizing the lack of adequate healthcare
access among recently immigrated Lithuanian
women in Chicago, LML arranges for the Cook
County Mammogram bus to provide free testing and
screening at the Balzekas Museum in Chicago.
2007 SPA Day
Fundraiser
Plans were underway to continue the program in
May 2007 by screening approximately 1,300 more
disadvantaged women across Lithuania. The
Nijole Lucia Salon in Oak Lawn, Illinois hosted
a second annual SPA Day on May 20, 2007. Nijole
and her staff volunteered their services; the
proceeds will be donated to support this
cause.
Newborn Care
Since 1991, LML has coordinated an exchange
program led by Dr. Vidyasagar, Director of
Neonatology at the University of Illinois (UIC).
Teams of physicians, nurses and other medical
staff from UIC have traveled to Lithuania to
present workshops and demonstrate state of the
art techniques in both Vilnius and Kaunas
hospitals. In addition, UIC invited Lithuania’s
physicians to Neonatology and Perinatology
seminars series. In 2004, UIC physicians
attended the Developmental and Follow-Up Seminar
for premature birth infants at the Vilnius
University Children’s Hospital and visited the
Children’s Rehabilitation Center. This
important joint program has improved the level
of care and Lithuania's infant and maternal
mortality and morbidity rates have declined. LML
has continued to support an ongoing relationship
between the UIC health care professionals and
Lithuania’s health care providers.
Health Education
Prevention is a powerful tool to improve health
and avoid costly treatment.
AIDS
The
global crisis of HIV/AIDS has spread to
Lithuania. LML has been a leader in education
by establishing HIV/AIDS community prevention
programs, sponsoring seminars, publishing the
manual “Community HIV/AIDS Prevention” in
Lithuanian, and helping to set up an AIDS
Consultation Center in Klaipėda, a very high
risk area. In 2004, LML helped to start a
shelter in Šiauliai and to coordinate the
European conference “Europe and HIV/AIDS” in
Vilnius.
Public
Health
Through LML’s initiative in 1998, primary
schools in Klaipėda received the UIC Healthcare
Curriculum for students in Primary Education
(grades K through 8). Children are taught good
hygiene practices and are encouraged to live
healthy, drug-free lifestyles. The curriculum
for secondary schools includes HIV/AIDS
prevention. LML remains committed to
implementing this program nationwide in
Lithuania’s schools. In 2004, the Mariampolė
region consulted with LML to implement the
curriculum in their schools.
Diabetes
In
2005, LML developed a relationship with the
Lithuanian Diabetes Association (LDA)
www.dia.lt.
This organization serving 5,000 members across
Lithuania, supports diabetics in living a full
life through education, insulin, medication and
diet. Supported by funds from LML’s 15th year
anniversary gala benefit in 2005 and the 2006
Lottery, the LDA was able to expand their
instructional camp program for juvenile
diabetics and buy screening kits for their
diabetes awareness program.
Medical
Equipment and Upgraded Facilities
LML
strives to make the most of the existing
hospital resources by providing necessary
medical equipment and upgrading facilities. LML
worked with the Ona Kutkaitė-Durbin Fund to
continue improvements to Jurbarkas Hospital. In
2004, LML helped to renovate the Gargždu
Hospital pediatric wing and funded therapeutic
programs and vocational training at the Šveksna
center for youth with emotional disturbances.
In the same year, LML purchased essential blood
analyzers and sterilizers for Ariogala and
Jurbarkas Hospitals. In 2005, LML assisted in
renovating the ventilation system at the
Panevežys Algimanto Bandzos Home for Infants and
Children and purchased an ultrasound and
electro-therapy equipment for Šakiai Hospital.
In 2007, LML purchased an autoclave and urine
analyzer for Ariogala Hospital and a microscope
for the Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Hospital
in Šiauliai.
Pharmaceuticals and Reagents
Christian Relief Services provides a generous
monthly donation to purchase laboratory
reagents, the chemicals necessary to process
laboratory tests. LML works through a
Lithuanian company, Instrumentation
Laboratories, which rotates the distribution
among hospitals throughout Lithuania. Recent
distributions have included Pasvalio Pirmeninis
Sveikatos Centras and Kelmės Hospital in
Žemaitija. |