CHI projects

Group of children in India.

The team at work.

This section provides an insight into our major recent and current projects. (For past projects, see history).

This shows the spread of CHI's involvement well outside our initial geographic interest in Russia.  Projects often begin when we become aware of a chance to improve CF care in another country. We are likely to send a small team on an exploratory visit to see how help can best be provided. Thereafter, we often send a complete team (Doctor, physiotherapist, dietician and specialist nurse with a CHI project manager) to the country concerned and later invite suitable personnel back to UK, usually for about 1 week. This general methodology is described in more detail here.

In the UK, at the tertiary level, a team approach is considered to be the most effective form of CF care a Consultant, a specialist physiotherapist, dietician, specialist nurse and the support often of a psychologist. Family involvement is vital both in understanding the condition, administering physiotherapy and medication as well as providing an optimal diet. So all CHI projects encourage the creation of Parent Support Groups.  The video clip shows various aspects of the team's involvement.  It was recorded in Ukraine, but is typical of many of our projects.

An unexpected development has been our involvement in India. Until recently, it was thought that cystic fibrosis was a uniquely Caucasian problem. It is now known that this is not the case.

Projects in Ukraine and Lithuania were closer to our original Eastern European origins.  A return visit from Vilnius, Lithuania, took place on 3rd to 9th February 2008. 

A project has been launched in Belarus; click here for a report of the visit to Minsk in September 2007.

We have begun a project in Latvia. Initial contact with Dr Vija Svabe in Riga was made about Easter 2007. An exploratory visit took place to the Latvia University Children's Hospital in February 2008 (see details) and a Latvian team came to Southampton General Hospital in February 2009 (details to be posted soon).

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