01896nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260000900042653003000051653003700081653002300118653002600141653001100167653001200178653001700190653002300207653001300230653001700243653002200260653002000282100001500302245009400317300001100411490000700422520117500429022001401604       1979                            d  c197910aCommunity Health Services10aDemocratic Republic of the Congo10aEducation, Medical10aHistory, 20th Century10aHumans10aleprosy10aMissionaries10aReligious Missions10aResearch10aRural Health10aTropical Medicine10aTrypanosomiasis1 aBrowne S G00aThe contribution of medical missionaries to tropical medicine. Service-training-research.  a357-600 v733 a<p>Medical missionaries, historically the pioneers in introducing Western medicine into many tropical countries, are today responsible for a significant proportion of health care in several of those countries. Illustrating his theme with references to personal experiences in the former Belgian Congo, the author enlarges on the organization of a church-related comprehensive health care programme based on a chain of rural health centres and satellite dispensaries that brought curative and preventive medicine to the whole population within the area covered. Trypanosomiasis was eradicated, yaws and tuberculosis controlled, cerebral malaria eliminated, worm-loads reduced and nutrition improved. Leprosy was treated within the integrated service as soon as the sulphones became available. Medical auxiliaries and nurse-midwives were trained practically to tackle the local problems. Students from many missions over a wide area went into government, mission and company employ after training. Research concentrated mainly on the solution of pressing local problems, such as onchocerciasis and leprosy, but incidentally investigated interesting clinical phenomena.</p>  a0035-9203