TCMCH Supports Detox in Kenya
TCMCH’s Megan Yarberry traveled to Kenya in July and August where she formalized a relationship of support between the Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawaii and The Omari Project of Kenya. The Omari Project (TOP) is a non-profit organization that provides services between the towns of Lamu and Kilifi on the coast of Kenya. TOP’s mission is to address drug addiction and prevent HIV transmission through rehabilitation services, public outreach and education, HIV testing, and counseling.
In May 2008 Ms. Yarberry, along with her colleague Beth Cole of Real Medicine Foundation, trained 17 TOP staff in the NADA protocol. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, a simple auricular acupuncture treatment, was originally used in the detoxification and rehabilitation process of drug addiction, and has now been shown to be an effective treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and to promote general well-being.
Since the training, TOP clients can access the NADA protocol during the initial and follow-up phases of recovery, and members of the public have also benefitted from this treatment. Staff reports that clients are much calmer after treatment sessions, and the nurse says that the need for medications that support withdrawal has been cut in half. During a recent training session with similar organizations in Kenya facilitated by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), TOP was recognized for its high retention rates (one of the best gauges of success for this type of program) and the number of clients who are able to maintain sobriety over time. “We’ll need another year for further study, but acupuncture is the only tool that we have added to explain the improvements we’ve noted over the past year.” says Shosi Mohammed, a TOP administrator.
Beginning January 2010, TCMCH will provide training, oversight of acupuncture programs, and needles for TOP. Acupuncture needles are not currently available in Kenya, which has been a limiting factor in the availability and sustainability of acupuncture services in the country, says Ms. Yarberry. TCMCH will also facilitate the provision of clinical opportunities for American acupuncturists seeking NADA certification.
TCMCH’s Megan Yarberry traveled to Kenya in July and August where she formalized a relationship of support between the Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawaii and The Omari Project of Kenya. The Omari Project (TOP) is a non-profit organization that provides services between the towns of Lamu and Kilifi on the coast of Kenya. TOP’s mission is to address drug addiction and prevent HIV transmission through rehabilitation services, public outreach and education, HIV testing, and counseling.
