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September 30, 2005|Volume 34, Number 5


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During his visit to campus on Sept. 21, Houston Rockets player Dikembe Mutombo met with medical students and faculty and toured campus medical facilities.



NBA star shares his vision
for health care in Africa

When NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo met second-year Yale medical student Anup Patel on Sept. 21, it was the culmination of many months of correspondence between two people from very different worlds who share a common vision -- increasing access to quality medical care for people around the globe.

Mutombo's journey to the medical school began many years ago when he was a pre-medicine major on an academic scholarship at Georgetown University. His goals included getting a medical degree to help people in his homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, but he took a detour from his medical school dreams to pursue a successful career in the NBA after Georgetown's basketball coach spotted his 7'2" frame on campus and asked him to try out for the team.

"Even though I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to play for Georgetown and all the teams I've played for in the NBA, I never forgot my original reason for coming to the United States," said Mutombo, who created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 to improve the health, education and quality of life of people in the Congo. One of the foundation's major projects is the construction of a new 300-bed general hospital in the capital city of Kinshasa, which is set to open in June 2006.

Patel shares Mutombo's passion for humanitarian work. As an undergraduate at the University of Florida, Patel co-founded a charity with friend Rinal Patel called Cents of Relief. Along with other members of the charity, including NFL Pittsburgh Steeler Max Starks, they generate funds through activities such as the Cents of Relief Golf Tournament. Money raised by the organization has paid for medical supplies for women in prostitution, sent children infected with HIV/AIDS to boarding school and covered monthly check-ups by local physicians.

Patel decided to contact the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation after attending a New York Knicks game where former Knicks assistant coach Brendan Suhr told him about Mutombo's humanitarian efforts. Patel contacted the foundation to express Yale's interest in Mutombo's activities and explore ways to help.

The two finally met on Wednesday when Mutombo came to Yale to meet faculty and students, tour medical and hospital facilities, and deliver a keynote address. Drs. Louis and Mirielle Kanda, who work with him to advance the goals of the foundation, accompanied Mutombo.

During a luncheon at the medical school, Patel, along with fellow Yale medical students Chike Brandon and Sarah Frasure, presented Mutombo with an award from medical students in recognition of his dedication to improving healthcare in Africa.

Mutombo created a stir at Yale-New Haven Hospital when Dr. Margaret Hostetter, chair and professor of pediatrics and of microbial pathogenesis, led him and the Kandas on a tour of the Children's Hospital. Along the way, Mutombo graciously stopped to sign autographs and pose for pictures with excited fans.




Mutombo also participated in an anatomy class for Hill Regional Career High School students taught by Yale medical students.



He then visited the Yale Anatomy Lab at the Anlyan Center, where he enthusiastically participated in an anatomy class with students from Hill Regional Career High School. Yale medical students teach the class.

Mutombo met with Yale basketball teams and coaches before his keynote lecture at Battell Chapel, which several hundred members of the Yale and New Haven communities attended.

Fluent in nine languages, including Portuguese and five African languages, Mutombo expressed his deep concern for the people in the Congo, where, he noted, the average life expectancy is 45 years and nearly one in five children dies before his or her fifth birthday. Malaria is the number-one killer in certain areas, and diseases like measles and polio are still rampant, he said.

Mutombo showed a video of the state of healthcare in the Congo and explained what drove him to undertake the building of a $30 million medical facility. He told the crowd, "The list of all the health concerns [in Africa] is depressingly long. ... One of the most effective health interventions on the continent of Africa is [to meet] the big need for doctors, nurses and other health care providers and researchers. At least 31 countries in Africa do not meet the health standard of a minimum of one doctor per 5,000 people."

Mutombo also decried the problem of HIV/AIDS in his homeland and throughout Africa.

"Even though [this disease] is devastating one part of the world, it really should be the concern of every member of every society living on the planet," he said. "The United Nations and the Global Health Council have reported that if this terrible disease is not brought under control, more than half of all 15-year-olds living on the south side of Africa will be infected with HIV/AIDS before they enter the most productive [time] of their lives."

Mutombo added that 10% of the adult population in Africa is infected with HIV/AIDS, and that about 8,000 people die daily from the disease. In his home city of Kinshasha, he said, only 6,000 of the 300,000 people with HIV/AIDS are getting treatment.

Tuberculosis is also a leading cause of death in Africa, particularly of children there, Mutombo said.

During a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Nancy Angoff, associate dean of student affairs, the Kandas and Mutombo thoughtfully responded to many questions from the audience regarding health disparities and possible solutions for improvement. When asked by an audience member why an NBA star is so concerned with helping the poor, Mutombo answered, "I grew up poor and I never forget where I came from. My devotion is to help people live longer. This pandemic is destroying society worldwide. Despite the problems in our society, there's always hope for the future."

At the conclusion of the keynote address and panel discussion, Dr. Tamiko V. Jackson, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics and member of the council and chair of the subcommittee on health, presented Mutombo with the inaugural AALC Creed Medal on behalf of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, Communities of Color Initiative. The Creed Medal commemorates the achievements of Dr. Courtlandt Van Rensselaer Creed, Class of 1857, who was the first African American to graduate from the Yale School of Medicine.

Mutombo ended his day at Yale at a reception hosted by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. His visit sets the stage for possible future partnerships with School of Medicine faculty and students, including resident rotations at Mutombo's Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital.

"I have a vision of a long and full collaboration between Yale University and our hospital," the basketball player said in his address at Battell Chapel. "I realize the construction of the hospital will not resolve all of the problems in my country. But it is a significant beginning which I hope will play an important role in the larger solution that will bring together education, economic development and peace to a people who have been suffering for a long time."

-- By Karen Peart


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