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Mahesh

23/02/24 08:51 AM IST

Race to global eradication of Guinea worm disease nears finish line

In News
  • The world is on the brink of a public health triumph as it closes in on eradicating Guinea worm disease.
Guinea Worm disease
  • Guinea worm disease, also called dracunculiasis, is the work of the Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis), whose infamy dates back to biblical times, when it was called the “fiery serpent” and whose presence researchers have confirmed in Egyptian mummies.
  • Individuals whose bodies the worm has entered first experience a painful blister, usually on a lower limb.
  • When seeking relief, they may immerse the affected area in water, which prompts the worm to emerge and release hundreds of thousands of larvae, potentially contaminating communal water sources and perpetuating the infection cycle.
  • While a Guinea worm by itself is not lethal, it debilitates those whom it infects and prevents them from performing daily tasks and earning their livelihoods.
  • It manifests as a painful skin lesion as the adult worm — sometimes up to a meter long — emerges.
  • This process, which can last weeks, often begins with a blister and develops into an ulcer from which the worm slowly exits the body.
  • The symptoms typically involve intense pain, swelling, and sometimes secondary bacterial infections at the open wound.
  • Sufferers may experience fever, nausea, and vomiting. The pain can incapacitate individuals, hindering daily activities and work.
Infections
  • More than 90% of Guinea worm infections manifest in the legs and feet.
  • The individual has an excruciating experience when the adult female worm emerges through the skin.
  • The open sore left by its exit is also susceptible to secondary infections.
  • The disease affects people of both sexes.
  • The struggle against Guinea worm disease is symbolic of a broader fight against the diseases of poverty and the self-fulfilling relationship between poverty and illness.
  • The disease thrives in areas where access to clean, safe drinking water is a luxury, and health education and resources are scant.
India & Guinea
  • India eliminated Guinea worm disease in the late 1990s, concluding a commendable chapter in the country’s public health history through a rigorous campaign of surveillance, water safety interventions, and community education.
  • The government of India received Guinea worm disease-free certification status from the WHO in 2000.
  • This accomplishment was the result of a collaboration between the Indian government, local health workers, and international partners.
  • The strategy hinged on empowering local communities with the knowledge and tools to prevent the disease — including filtering water before use and reporting cases to health authorities for immediate response.
  • The strategy that brought us to the brink of eradication was straightforward: intersectoral coordination, community participation, and a sustained focus on prevention through health education.
  • Unlike many diseases that have been cornered by medical interventions, Guinea worm disease was and is being pushed to extinction using the fundamentals of public health: ensuring access to clean water (by applying a larvicide called Temephos), spreading awareness through community workers, and meticulously tracking cases and containing outbreaks.
  • Nations like South Sudan and Mali, where the disease was once more common, have made commendable progress, although the fight continues particularly in Chad and the Central African Republic, where the last vestiges of this disease cling on.
Source- The Hindu

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