This morning we woke up and had a brief lecture day. In Dr. Cotton's class we learned about the burden of disease and more in depth about specific health promotion programs in Croatia. Burden of disease is the impact of disease on the community or the population. It is based on DALYs, disability adjusted life years. This measures the amount of disability free years a person has lost due to morbidity and mortality. DALYs consider the frequency, duration and the severity of disease and disabilities. Burden of disease helps allocate resources, plan, prioritize interventions, and can estimate the impact disease has on the economy.
The four health promotion programs we discussed were the 1989 Maternal and Child Health Program, which focused on breast feeding, the 1993 Health Promoting Schools Program, the 2002 National Program of Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer, and finally the 2003 National Program for Roma (gypsies), which helped allocate resources to these people that had nothing. The programs have developed to meet the needs of the population over time.
After classes, we took a "hike" to Upper Tučepi, which had some amazing views as pictured. I use hike loosely because it was more like a trek up a mountain side. The "hill" was extremely steep and rocky. We were not exactly expecting that, however, I definitely enjoyed the exercise. At the top of the hill, we took a quick group photo and then we went to a church that was decorated very ornately. Both the group photo and the interior of the church are posted above. It was not until Dr. Cotton pointed it out that I realized what looked like marble was actually painted. They had painted the entire church as if there were various types of stone, and made it all look real. It was amazing to witness this dedication and talent. We also had a "light" lunch in a nice restaurant that overlooked Makarska.
We had the afternoon off to prepare us for tomorrow when we will have to be on the bus by 7:00 AM to head to Debrovnik. Most of the class spent the day relaxing by the beach or catching up on some sleep. Ashton, Andie and Kendra, fellow students on the trip, cooked dinner for the entire group. It was incredible what they did to prepare this wonderful home cooked meal. They worked out of the apartments in three separate kitchens. We had chicken, salad (with homemade ranch dressing), macaroni and cheese, fresh squeezed lemonade, and garlic mashed potatoes. If that was not enough, Ashton made the most amazing peach cobbler I have ever had in my life. Needless to say this was by far one of the best meals we have had on this trip and it was a nice taste of home. It was also a time that the group could come together and par take in Croatian culture. We came together to cook together and eat together. It was an amazing time that I will treasure forever. Even the landlady took part and set us the most amazing outdoor tables with candles and white linen tablecloths to complete the setting. We took a lot of great photos, which are included.
Tomorrow we have an extremely early morning! It will be another amazing day. It's hard to believe it is almost over.
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