Cholera - Global issues Flashcards
For a water-related disease you have studied: explain the strategies used to manage the disease; and comment on the effectiveness of these strategies. (12 marks)
For the water related disease epidemic of cholera in Haiti 2010, one of the strategies were an omnipresser in which a small scale sewage collected human sewage and converts it to both pure drinking water as well as generates electricity and fertiliser. A few positives of this is its “off grid” and therefore does not need to be connected to new sewage pipelines. It Is self-powered, and stops the dumping of contaminated sewage into rivers/sea as the sewage is taken from latrines by trucks then processed.
Doxycycline antibiotics are another useful strategy. The tablets are used to kill the bacteria following infection, the best results show when there is early detection and treatment. The tablets are used mainly to control the amount and reduces the duration of diarrhoea. This this reduces the amount of rehydration therapy needed, which may be useful for areas where saline drips are not available or are in short supply.
Village health workers are a good strategie as it allows early detection and treatment. For developing countries without the financial ability to create a robust healthcare system, training locals in the basics of good hygiene, and how to purify water using sari. The health workers educate local people on where to build toilets, and teaches dangers of open defecation in contaminating water supplies as well as provide water purification or ORT medication. As they are local (knowing local dialects/language and customs/culture) and know the area well, they more likely to be accepted and locals are less likely to use “herbalist” / quack medics who can offer no meaningful support.
Building more latrines are a successful strategie. People do their business in the ground in a remote area so they are not touching a toilet or toilet seat where the bacteria would collect. The positives are they are constructed using basic hand-tools and are therefore a low cost. Having a shared or personal latrine cuts down on the number practising open defecation. Being over 25m means that the bacteria will not be transported into rivers/ponds via “throughflow”. Through schemes such as “toilet twinning” funds are raised in developed countries to support construction of latrines supporting voluntary groups to provide materials as well as long term education on good hygiene.
What are the effects of cholera on hati
Social - 500,000 reported cases and 7,000 deaths. Even now there are approximately 2300 people hospitalised for cholera every week.
Spread to other neighbours countries
Economic - Water systems became contaminated.
The common practice of growing rice in paddy fields, and reliance on the river for fishing and transportation, increased the exposure to contaminated water.
Environmental - infections were found much further inland than expected, along almost the entire length of the 320km-long Artibonite River.
Name primary healthcare stratagies in developing countries - (not for cholera topic)
Barefoot doctors - such as in China is when local people are provided with basic medical training to care for the basic needs of people within the community – such as handing out drugs and providing advice .This is effective as due to it being local people they are trusted and there is less language issues .This tends to happen in rural areas so prevents people from travelling all the way into cities which can take days.
Oral Rehydration Therapy is the use of salts to treat dehydration which is a major symptom of diarrhoea - It is easy to administer though with clear insturctions so money isn’t spent on training people.
In Kenya, vaccination programs have been used by giving vaccinations – this prevents killer diseases such as cholera and typhoid which can really help lower the death rate of countries.
Oral Education can be used to teach people about healthcare issues such as malaria – this can be done through songs, dances etc. In Columbia, Profamilia work to provide education about family planning and sex education (including giving out contraception).This is good as it provides advice to not only women but men as well. It is also accessible as people only have to pay what they can afford.
