A Winnipeg man is collecting cans in an effort to help fund a medical outreach mission to Cuba that focuses on mosquito-borne disease prevention, natural health solutions, community education, and sharing the gospel.<\/p>\n
Pedorthist Jim Pattison travels to countries including Cuba and Mexico, where he provides care and training for people living with high-risk foot conditions and limited access to medical supplies.<\/p>\n
A key focus of his work is helping communities reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness through locally available prevention methods, rather than relying on imported products such as chemical repellents.<\/p>\n
\u201cDEET has to be imported, and it\u2019s fairly costly,\u201d Pattison said. \u201cSome people can\u2019t use it, like young children, pregnant women, or those with sensitivities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, Pattison says his work emphasizes practical alternatives that can be sourced locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are natural methods of mosquito repellent that are available there, and we\u2019re showing them how to use them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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One method he has explored is brewer\u2019s yeast extract, a fermentation byproduct he says helps deter insects. Pattison first tested the approach in Winnipeg during an encephalitis outbreak while working with the Department of Entomology.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried a natural mosquito repellent, and I wasn\u2019t bitten,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He initially believed yeast-based solutions could be a practical option in part due to local fermentation industries and Cuba’s rum production. However, he says fuel shortages and limited infrastructure created challenges in producing and distributing some materials, leading him to explore additional natural alternatives.<\/p>\n
Pattison also examined other locally available options, including tea tree oil, which he says can be sourced in some agricultural areas.<\/p>\n
Based on earlier conversations, Pattison says he was initially told tea tree oil resources were not available. However, he later confirmed its presence while in Cuba.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure it was available, but I saw it there,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen the trees, and they grow on farms down there, and they\u2019re able to produce that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue and chikungunya remain a significant health concern in tropical regions.<\/p>\n
\u201cDengue is life-threatening; you can get spontaneous bleeding with a high fever,\u201d Pattison said. \u201cAnd with chikungunya, people can have joint pain for months, even up to a year. If we can stop mosquitoes from infecting people, there\u2019s going to be less impact on the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also says diabetes and foot-related complications are a growing concern in the regions where he works, especially where medical resources are limited.<\/p>\n
Pattison says access to medication and long-term treatment is a major issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe medicine that they would use, a standard antibiotic, would be used for three months, and about $400 a month, and it destroys your liver,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to have your liver checked regularly, and it’s not uncommon for people to be taken off of the medicine early because of liver damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also referenced projections from the International Diabetes Federation, saying some countries in Central America, including Cuba, are expected to see a significant rise in diabetes cases in the coming years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost of treating a person with diabetes to make sure that they have the insulin and the tools to check their blood sugar, that is a high cost,\u201d he said. \u201cIf there\u2019s something that we can do to help reduce the incidence of diabetes and the complications, I think it is important for us to be able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cans for Cuba<\/p>\n
Pattison helps fund his outreach work through an unconventional approach, collecting donated recyclable cans in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something we can ask people for that isn\u2019t money, and it\u2019s something they generally have,\u201d he said. \u201cWe collect the cans and take them in for scrap.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says roughly 40,000 cans are needed to fund one trip, with each can bringing in about 1.5 cents.<\/p>\n
He also notes that tabs from the can are repurposed for a separate initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also take the tabs off and give them to tabs for chairs,\u201d he said, adding that his church community is involved and excited in that effort.<\/p>\n
Alongside medical care and prevention training, Pattison says his work also includes sharing the hope of Christ that he describes as central to the mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gospel is being given out at the same time,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about providing the hope of Christ with everything that\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
To support Pattison in this effort, you can connect through the Cans for Cuba Facebook page, where donations and can pickups are coordinated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Winnipeg man is collecting cans in an effort to help fund a medical outreach mission to Cuba…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621578,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-621577","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}