Monday, January 29, 2007
The Face of Malaria
The Nothing But Nets campaign continues to capture my attention. A donation of $10 provides an insecticide-treated bed net that can protect an African family of four for up to five years from mosquitoes, which carry malaria. The families are also taught how to use these nets. This personal account by Elizabeth McKee tells why this campaign is so important. Most people I know could give $10 to save a life, I just need to find a way to give them an opportunity to do so.
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9 comments:
What an incredible way, for an incredibly small sum, to directly contribute to the saving of lives. To make it even more compelling, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a matching grant of $3 million. The United Methodist Church is a partner in this endeavor, so let us not fail to take advantage to of this wonderful opportunity to leverage of dollars to save lives.
I ran the math on the "Gates" matching grant to discover that my 10 dollars was the equivalent of almost 2 million Gates dollars. So if even two people send 10 dollars,
the Gates should cough up at least 4 million. Why don't they save some money, and build several low-tech net making businesses that employ the people that need the nets and the pay? Many of these International problems don't really seem to be rocket science.
Interesting response to Gates matching gift. That kind of thinking is much like the Heifer Project that promotes sustainable living in many corners of the world. However, I am still convinced there is an immediate need for millions of nets that cannot be currently provided by a local economy.
I am convinced that the nets are an idea whose time has come. They are needed certainly. I just hope the mosquitos don't learn how to grow longer probosces. Could be creating a monster.
I am intrigued by the response from "Anonymous". My initial reaction was actually one of aggravation. After all, suppose the widow had the same reaction and refused to give her mite? What might Jesus' have said then? But then I realized it was another example of giving fish rather than teaching one how to fish. Point made! My problem is that I can't afford to build factories, so I will give what I can and hope to save a life or two now. I would encourage Anonymous to make the suggestion to the Gates Foundation. I would do it, but I think it would be far more persuasive coming from someone who feels so passionately.
Anonymous does not have any problem with the "net" project. Anonymous has,like all who have eyes to see and ears to hear should have, a huge problem with the "'Gates' of Hell". Thank you to George for reading between the lines. A very real solution to the mosquito, malaria, net problem would miraculously appear if oil or uranium were to be found in the locales of the "Bad Air". Important people would then have to visit the region and return well. Spark any ideas?
Maybe the bed nets project could extend to the Americas to combat the insidious Chagas Disease.
Chagas disease is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, who discovered it in 1909. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the Americas (mainly, in rural areas of Latin America where poverty is widespread). Chagas disease (T. cruzi infection) is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis.
It is estimated that as many as 11 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. If unrecognized and untreated, even silent infection is life long and can be life threatening.
The impact of Chagas disease is not limited to the rural areas in Latin America in which vector-borne transmission occurs. Large-scale population movements from rural to urban areas of Latin America and to other regions of the world have increased the geographic distribution and changed the epidemiology of Chagas disease. In the UNITED STATES and in other regions where Chagas disease is now found but is not endemic, control strategies should focus on preventing transmission from blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and mother to baby (congenital transmission).
How do people get Chagas disease?
People can become infected in various ways. In Chagas-endemic areas, the main way is through vector-borne transmission. The insect vectors are called triatomine bugs. These blood-sucking bugs get infected by biting an infected animal or person. Once infected, the bugs pass T. cruzi parasites in their feces. The bugs are found in houses made from materials such as mud, adobe, straw, and palm thatch. During the day, the bugs hide in crevices in the walls and roofs. During the night, when the inhabitants are sleeping, the bugs emerge. Because they tend to feed on people’s faces, triatomine bugs are also known as “kissing bugs.” After they bite and ingest blood, they defecate on the person. The person can become infected if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. The unsuspecting, sleeping person may accidentally scratch or rub the feces into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth.
I plan to travel to a rural area of Latin America that might have Chagas disease. How can I prevent infection?
No drugs or vaccines for preventing infection are currently available. Travelers who sleep indoors, in well-constructed facilities (for example, air-conditioned or screened hotel rooms), are at low risk for exposure to infected triatomine bugs, which infest poor-quality dwellings and are most active at night. Preventive measures include spraying infested dwellings with residual-action insecticides, USING BED NETS treated with long-lasting insecticides, wearing protective clothing, and applying insect repellent to exposed skin. In addition, travelers should be aware of other possible routes of transmission, including blood borne and food borne.
Wow, Tom! I don't know what to say except, may I buy you a net to take along?
Touche'
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