NPR

A Gambian Nurse Fights Pain Without Pills

As the U.S. grapples with the opioid crisis, pain medication is in short supply in some other parts of the world. One nurse in the Gambia explains how she addresses pain with tools other than drugs.
Nabia Drammeh, 27, a nurse, talks with Maram Ceesay, and her granddaughter, Awa at the Brufut Minor Health Center outside of Banjul, the Gambia. Awa's mother passed away during childbirth leaving her Maram to look after her. The 2-year-old is being treated for pneumonia.

Growing up in the Gambia in West Africa, Nadia Drammeh always knew she wanted to be a nurse. "My auntie was a nurse," she says. "I used to go to the clinic and see the way she works. I told her, 'I really want to be a nurse in the future!' So I've loved this job since when I was a child."

The 27-year-old graduated from nursing school in 2012 and has been a nurse ever since.

She now works at the Brufut health

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readIndustries
China Makes Cheap Electric Vehicles. Why Can't American Shoppers Buy Them?
American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.
NPR2 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
U Of Mississippi Opens Probe Over Hostile Protest That Involved Racist Taunts
Videos of Thursday's incident at the school were shared on social media showing heated confrontations between pro-Palestinian protesters and a larger group of counterprotesters.
NPR7 min read
How One Stretch Of Interstate 20 Through Alabama Tells The Story Of American Workers
Three high-profile labor disputes have unfolded in central Alabama over the past several years, with Amazon warehouse workers, coal miners and autoworkers all speaking out for change.

Related Books & Audiobooks