August 1, 2007 - American Friends of Le Kinkeliba submitted a Letter to the Editor of The New York Times in response to a July 31, 2007, article by Harriet A. Washington, "Why Africa Fears Western Medicine." The text appears below. Ms. Washington's article is available at www.nytimes.com.

August 1, 2007
The New York Times
To the Editor,

It was distressing to read Harriet A. Washington's account in these pages of the fears many Africans harbor about the dangers of Western medicine, based on instances where medical workers failed to provide adequate care or, in fortunately rare instances, conducted unprincipled experiments on African subjects under the guise of preventing disease.

I know firsthand from my work in rural Senegal with the nonprofit organization Le Kinkeliba, that the "reasonable fears" Africans harbor of Western medicine can be triumphantly overcome. Under the leadership of Dr. Gilles Degois, Le Kinkeliba consistently seeks common ground with tribal leaders and villagers, African physicians, and local and national officials in its ever-widening efforts to construct clean, efficient medical centers to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and prevent and combat a variety of ailments. At every step, Le Kinkeliba personnel (both Western and African) demonstrate their respect for the culture of the villages to which they minister. As a result, they have earned the trust of thousands previously without access to quality care.

By its example, I believe Le Kinkeliba is ably meeting the responsibility Ms. Washington advocates of allaying Africans' fears and concerns about modern medical practices. Its model is cost-efficient and eminently replicable -- and offers perhaps the best hope we have of effecting true and lasting acceptance of Western medicine in the most impoverished areas of the African continent.

Sincerely,
Anne Barker
Director
American Friends of Le Kinkeliba, Inc.