My Contribution to the Changing World

Week five here in Costa Rica and I can say that so far it has been one of the best moments in my life; knowing that I can contribute for a change in the health outcomes of many Costa Ricans.

Approximately 95% of its three million inhabitants receive health care services through the public Costa Rican Social Security Institute. The use of antibiotics in this country is increasing. A huge number of gram negative bacilli were resistant to ampicillin leading to the substitution for cefalexin.

This is raising concerns about the prescriber’s habits and rational use of medicines throughout Costa Rica. My goal is to try to find what genes are expressed in the DNA of these multi- resistant bacteria samples from hospital settings. But what is most important is what is converting them to be resistant to antibiotics over time.

What I have learned so far in this process is to be persistent and cautious. I have learned that those two concepts are key to be able to achieve my goal. It is an honor to be part of the UTEP MHIRT program along with the Institutes of health in the University of Costa Rica.

I am working hard to determine the health factors and what strategies we can implement in order to improve the quality of life of many Costa Ricans.