Dracunculiasis
Dracunculus Nematode
Chad
Disease Eradication
Water Supply
Social Conditions
Africa
Water Purification
World Health Organization
Copepoda
Onchocerciasis
Nigeria
Schistosomiasis
Perspectives from the dracunculiasis eradication programme. (1/61)
After a slow beginning in association with the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981-1990), the global Dracunculiasis Eradication Programme has reduced the incidence of dracunculiasis by nearly 97%, from an estimated 3.2 million cases in 1986 to less than 100,000 cases in 1997. Over half of the remaining cases are in Sudan. In addition, the programme has already produced many indirect benefits such as improved agricultural production and school attendance, extensive provision of clean drinking-water, mobilization of endemic communities, and improved care of infants. Most workers in the campaign have other responsibilities in their communities or ministries of health besides dracunculiasis eradication. (+info)Candidate parasitic diseases. (2/61)
This paper discusses five parasitic diseases: American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis. The available technology and health infrastructures in developing countries permit the eradication of dracunculiasis and the elimination of lymphatic filariasis due to Wuchereria bancrofti. Blindness due to onchocerciasis and transmission of this disease will be prevented in eleven West African countries; transmission of Chagas disease will be interrupted. A well-coordinated international effort is required to ensure that scarce resources are not wasted, efforts are not duplicated, and planned national programmes are well supported. (+info)Eradicating guinea worm without wells: unrealized hopes of the Water Decade. (3/61)
At the start of the United Nations International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade in the 1980s, guinea worm disease was targeted as the major indicator of the success of the Decade's efforts to promote safe water. By the late 1980s, most of the guinea worm endemic countries in Africa and South Asia had established guinea worm eradication programmes that included water supply as one of their main technical strategies. By surveying the water supply situation in Ifeloju Local Government Area (LGA) in Oyo State, Nigeria, in June 1996, as a case study, it was possible to determine the role that water supply has played in the eradication effort. Although two major agencies, the former Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure and UNICEF, provided hand dug and bore-hole wells respectively in many parts of the LGA, coverage of the smaller farm hamlets has been minor compared to efforts in the larger towns. This is ironic because the farm hamlets served as a reservoir for the disease in the 1980s, such that when the piped water system in the towns broke down, guinea worm was easily reintroduced into the towns. The survey of 188 ever-endemic hamlets with an estimated population of 23,556 found that 74.3% of the people still drink only pond water. Another 11.3% have wells that have become dysfunctional. Only 14.4% of this rural population has access' to functioning wells. Guinea worm was eliminated from 107 of the hamlets mainly by the use of cloth filters and chemical treatment of ponds. While this proves that it is possible to eradicate guinea worm, it fails to leave behind the legacy of reliable, safe water supplies that was the hope of the Water Decade. (+info)The progress of the Polio Eradication Initiative: what prospects for eradicating measles? (4/61)
Although various attempts have been made to eradicate infectious diseases, only smallpox has been eradicated to date. Polio is targeted for eradication in 2000 and already planning has begun for the eradication of measles. However, before we commit to a measles eradication effort, we must examine the lessons to be learned from polio eradication. Of particular importance is the debate over whether resources should be invested in 'horizontal' or 'vertical' programmes. The outcome of these debates will have a very deep and lasting impact on global health development in years to come. Collaboration between targeted programmes and the primary health care sector through polio and measles eradication efforts will help bring about the necessary balance between goal-oriented programmes, which are subject to quality control and can be evaluated by measurable outcomes, and broader efforts to build up sustainable health infrastructure. (+info)Dracunculiasis in Cameroon at the threshold of elimination. (5/61)
BACKGROUND: Dracunculiasis is endemic in Mayo Sava Division in the Far North Province of Cameroon. Transmission occurs during the rainy season with a peak in the months of July and August. METHODS: A combination of interventions consisting of active surveillance, social mobilization, health education, distribution of filters, construction of new water sources, chemical treatment of unsafe water sources with temephos, and case containment were applied in Mayo Sava in 1990-1995 by the national Guinea Worm Elimination Programme (GWEP). Dracunculiasis cases were detected by village health workers, confirmed by health outreach teams and reported weekly to the GWEP. RESULTS: A decline in the incidence of dracunculiasis by 98.1% from 778 cases in 1990 to 15 in 1995, and in the number of endemic villages by 92.7% from 82 in 1990 to 6 in 1995 was achieved. The proportion of cases identified < or =24 hours of worm emergence increased from 19% in 1991 to 73.6% in 1993. Over 1500 nylon monofilament filters were distributed yearly to endemic villages lacking safe drinking water sources, while 81 new water sources were constructed (boreholes, wells and dikes), 55% in 1992-1993. The success of GWEP is attributed mainly to: intensive and simultaneous implementation of interventions in highly endemic villages in the first 3 years of the programme, case containment, and cash reward. CONCLUSIONS: Cameroon is on the threshold of eliminating dracunculiasis from Mayo Sava but the major remaining obstacle is the ever increasing threat of re-infestation from neighbouring countries. (+info)Acceptance and use of communal filtration units in guinea worm eradication. (6/61)
The use of cloth to filter drinking water for guinea worm prevention is a long-standing control strategy and part of a mixed approach that includes the provision of wells, chemical treatment of ponds and protection of water supplies. As the goal of eradication nears, filters are a useful component of the quick response needed to implement case containment at village level. Various designs of filters have been used. Individual hand-sewn filters (HSFs) using monofilament nylon cloth have played a central role in village-based control to date. Problems such as the need to continually reinforce correct habitual filtering behaviour have led to the design and testing of communal filtration units (CFUs) made from metal oil drums with filter cloth inserted in the top and spigots at the bottom. Approximately one year after the introduction of CFUs in the South-western Zone of Nigeria, village surveys were conducted to determine opinions about the two types of filters and reported use. Percentage use was calculated by dividing the number of times water was filtered in the week preceding the survey by the number of times water was collected in that week. Those respondents with access to CFUs filtered an average of 91.9% of the time compared to 75.7% of those with HSFs. Using the village as level of analysis since it was the main level of intervention, the average percent of times villagers in CFU villages filtered was 91.1% compared to 77.8% in HSF villages. Although CFUs were more expensive in the short run, their greater acceptance by villagers is a factor to recommend their wider implementation to speed up elimination of guinea worm from Nigeria. (+info)India eradicates guinea worm disease.(7/61)
(+info)Dracunculiasis eradication: delayed, not denied. (8/61)
By the end of 1998, Asia was free of dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), with Pakistan, India, and Yemen having interrupted transmission in 1993, 1996, and 1997, respectively. Transmission of the disease was also interrupted in Cameroon and Senegal during 1997. Chad reported only 3 cases during 1998. Dracunculiasis is now confined to only 13 countries in Africa. The overall number of cases has been reduced by more than 97% from the 3.2 million cases estimated to have occurred in 1986 to 78,557 cases reported in 1998. Because the civil war in Sudan remains the major impediment to eradication of dracunculiasis, the interim goal is to stop all transmission outside that country by the end of 2000. The most important operational need now is for national programs to improve the frequency and quality of supervision of village-based health workers in order to enhance the sensitivity of surveillance and effectiveness of case containment. (+info)Dracunculiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the infection of the roundworm Dracunculus medinensis, also known as the guinea worm. The disease is transmitted to humans through drinking contaminated water containing copepods (small crustaceans) that carry the larvae of the guinea worm.
Once ingested, the larvae mature and migrate to the lower extremities, particularly the legs and feet, where they cause painful blisters or ulcers when they emerge through the skin, usually a year after infection. The emerging worm can be up to 80 cm long. Dracunculiasis is rarely fatal but can lead to secondary bacterial infections, severe pain, permanent disability, and economic loss due to decreased productivity.
Dracunculiasis has been targeted for global eradication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations. Significant progress has been made in reducing the number of cases, with only a few countries still reporting cases. Preventive measures include providing safe drinking water, filtering contaminated water, and treating it with temefos, an insecticide that kills copepods carrying guinea worm larvae.
Dracunculus nematode is a type of parasitic roundworm that causes the disease dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm disease. The adult female Dracunculus nematode can grow up to 80 cm in length and lives in the subcutaneous tissue of humans and other animals.
The life cycle of the Dracunculus nematode begins when an infected copepod (a type of small crustacean) is ingested through drinking contaminated water. The larvae are released from the copepod in the stomach, where they penetrate the stomach wall and enter the abdominal cavity. From there, they migrate to the subcutaneous tissue, where they mature into adult worms over a period of about one year.
Female Dracunculus nematodes mate with male worms in the subcutaneous tissue, and after mating, the female migrates towards the skin surface. When she reaches the skin, usually around the lower leg or foot, she causes an intensely painful blister to form. The blister eventually ruptures, releasing thousands of larvae into the water when the person seeks relief by immersing the affected area in water.
Dracunculiasis is a painful and debilitating disease that can lead to secondary bacterial infections, permanent disability, and even death in some cases. However, it is preventable through improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as public health education about the importance of filtering drinking water and avoiding contaminated water sources. The Carter Center has led a successful global campaign to eradicate dracunculiasis, with only a few remaining endemic countries in 2021.
I apologize, but "Chad" is not a medical term or condition. It is a given name and also a slang term that has been used in popular culture to refer to an attractive man or a stereotypical fraternity member in some English-speaking countries. If you have any questions about medical terminology, I would be happy to help answer those for you.
I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Sudan" is not a medical term. It is a country located in Northeast Africa, known as the Sudan or Sudan proper, and the southern region that seceded to become South Sudan in 2011. If you have any medical terms you would like me to define, please let me know!
Disease eradication is the complete and permanent elimination of a specific disease from all humans or animals worldwide. This is achieved through various methods, including vaccination programs, improved sanitation, and public health measures. The disease is no longer present in any form, and there is no risk of it re-emerging. Smallpox is the only human disease to have been successfully eradicated so far. Efforts are currently underway to eradicate polio, with significant progress made but still ongoing.
I'm sorry for any confusion, but "water supply" is not a medical term per se. It is a general term used to describe the system or arrangement providing water for consumption or use, such as a public water supply system or a private well. However, in a medical context, it could refer to the source of water used in a healthcare facility for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and patient care, which must meet certain quality standards to prevent infection and ensure safety.
"World Health" is not a term that has a specific medical definition. However, it is often used in the context of global health, which can be defined as:
"The area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. It emphasizes trans-national health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and engages stakeholders from across sectors and societies." (World Health Organization)
Therefore, "world health" could refer to the overall health status and health challenges faced by populations around the world. It encompasses a broad range of factors that affect the health of individuals and communities, including social, economic, environmental, and political determinants. The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a key role in monitoring and promoting global health, setting international standards and guidelines, and coordinating responses to global health emergencies.
I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Ghana" is not a medical term. It is the name of a country located in West Africa, known officially as the Republic of Ghana. If you have any questions about medical terms or conditions, I would be happy to help with those!
Medical professionals may use the term "social conditions" to refer to various environmental and sociological factors that can impact an individual's health and well-being. These conditions can include things like:
* Socioeconomic status (SES): This refers to a person's position in society, which is often determined by their income, education level, and occupation. People with lower SES are more likely to experience poor health outcomes due to factors such as limited access to healthcare, nutritious food, and safe housing.
* Social determinants of health (SDOH): These are the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Examples include poverty, discrimination, housing instability, education level, and access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities.
* Social support: This refers to the emotional, informational, and instrumental assistance that individuals receive from their social networks, including family, friends, neighbors, and community members. Strong social support is associated with better health outcomes, while lack of social support can contribute to poor health.
* Social isolation: This occurs when people are disconnected from others and have limited social contacts or interactions. Social isolation can lead to negative health outcomes such as depression, cognitive decline, and increased risk for chronic diseases.
* Community context: The physical and social characteristics of the communities in which people live can also impact their health. Factors such as access to green spaces, transportation options, and safe housing can all contribute to better health outcomes.
Overall, social conditions can have a significant impact on an individual's health and well-being, and addressing these factors is essential for promoting health equity and improving overall public health.
I'm sorry for any confusion, but the term "Africa" actually refers to a continent, not a medical condition or concept. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, consisting of 54 countries and a wide range of diverse ethnic groups, cultures, languages, and landscapes. It is home to a vast array of wildlife, including many species that are not found anywhere else in the world. If you have any questions about Africa's geography, history, or culture, I would be happy to try to help answer them!
Water purification is the process of removing or reducing contaminants in water to make it safe and suitable for specific uses, such as drinking, cooking, irrigation, or medical purposes. This is typically achieved through physical, chemical, or biological methods, or a combination thereof. The goal is to eliminate or reduce harmful substances like bacteria, viruses, parasites, heavy metals, pesticides, and other pollutants that can cause illness or negatively impact human health, aquatic life, or the environment.
The specific purification methods used may vary depending on the nature of the contaminants and the desired level of purity for the intended use. Common techniques include filtration (using various types of filters like activated carbon, ceramic, or reverse osmosis), disinfection (using chemicals like chlorine or UV light to kill microorganisms), sedimentation (allowing particles to settle and be removed), and distillation (heating water to create steam, which is then condensed back into pure water).
The World Health Organization (WHO) is not a medical condition or term, but rather a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Here's a brief description:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as the global authority on public health issues. Established in 1948, WHO's primary role is to coordinate and collaborate with its member states to promote health, prevent diseases, and ensure universal access to healthcare services. WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has regional offices around the world. It plays a crucial role in setting global health standards, monitoring disease outbreaks, and providing guidance on various public health concerns, including infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, mental health, environmental health, and maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health.
Copepoda is a subclass of small crustaceans found in various aquatic environments, including marine and freshwater. They are typically characterized by a segmented body with a distinct head and thorax, and they have a pair of antennae, mandibles, and maxillules used for feeding. Copepods are important members of the zooplankton community and serve as a significant food source for many larger aquatic organisms, such as fish and whales. Some copepod species can also be parasitic, infecting various marine animals, including fish, crustaceans, and mammals.
Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. The infection is primarily transmitted through the bites of infected blackflies (Simulium spp.) that breed in fast-flowing rivers and streams. The larvae of the worms mature into adults in nodules under the skin, where females release microfilariae that migrate throughout the body, including the eyes.
Symptoms include severe itching, dermatitis, depigmentation, thickening and scarring of the skin, visual impairment, and blindness. The disease is also known as river blindness due to its association with riverside communities where blackflies breed. Onchocerciasis can lead to significant social and economic consequences for affected individuals and communities. Preventive chemotherapy using mass drug administration of ivermectin is the primary strategy for controlling onchocerciasis in endemic areas.
I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Nigeria" is not a medical term. It is a country located in West Africa, and it is the most populous country in Africa. If you have any questions about medical conditions or terms, I would be happy to help clarify those for you.
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or snail fever, is a parasitic infection caused by several species of the trematode flatworm Schistosoma. The infection occurs when people come into contact with freshwater contaminated with the parasite's larvae, which are released by infected freshwater snails.
The larvae penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream, and mature into adult worms in the blood vessels of the urinary tract or intestines. The female worms lay eggs, which can cause inflammation and scarring in various organs, including the liver, lungs, and brain.
Symptoms of schistosomiasis may include fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, and diarrhea. In chronic cases, the infection can lead to serious complications such as kidney damage, bladder cancer, and seizures. Schistosomiasis is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with poor sanitation and lack of access to safe drinking water. It is preventable through improved water supply, sanitation, and snail control measures. Treatment typically involves the use of a medication called praziquantel, which kills the adult worms.
Dracunculiasis
