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(Primary Health Care)

(BILHARZIA)

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Simple Teaching Materials for Primary Health Care Awareness

 

This can be a deadly disease. It is widespread and many people are at risk of catching the disease.

 

How can the young help?

·        By reading these sheets

·        Doing what is written on them

·        Showing the sheets to your friends, families and anyone else you think might be at risk

·        Trying to make people speak about Bilharzia and how they can prevent the disease from spreading

 

BY FOLLOWING THE ABOVE YOU WILL BE HELPING REDUCE THE RISKS OF CATCHING THIS DISEASE

 

 

What is Bilharzia?

 

Let’s start by asking a few simple questions

 

·        where do you wash  - in a pond, slow moving water or in fast moving water?

·        Where do you get your water?

·        Do you put your rubbish in or near the water which you use for drinking and cooking?

·        Do you wash and bathe at the same place as you get your water from?

·        Do people go to the toilet in or near the water they also use for cooking and drinking?

·        How do you collect your water?

 

Think carefully about your answers, for they will show how great your risk is of suffering from this serious disease.

 

IF YOU PUT YOUR RUBBISH IN OR NEAR THE WATER WHICH YOU USE FOR DRINKING, THEN YOU ARE AT RISK OF CATCHING THIS DISEASE.

IF YOU COLEECT YOUR WATER FROM A POND, OR SLOW MOVING STREAM, THEN YOU MAY ALSO BE AT RISK FROM THIS DISEASE.

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

 

 

                        GOOD                                                                        BAD

You draw your drinking water from a            You use the same place

different place than that where you            to get BOTH your

put your rubbish            drinking water and for

                                                                                    throwing away your

                                                                                    rubbish

 

You bathe in a different place            You bathe in the same

from where you draw your            place as you get your

drinking water                                                               drinking water from

 

You wash in a moving            You wash in a pond, or in still

stream                                                                          water

 

Let’s start to look at the people in your family or village

 

·        are any of them suffering from stomach pains and swelling of the stomach?

·        are any of them passing blood in their urine when they go to the toilet?

·        do any of them always feel tired, or easily fall asleep and have very little energy when awake

 

If any of your family or friends have these symptoms, then they might be suffering from Bilharzia

 

 

They should try to see a doctor, pharmacist, birth assistant or anyone who has some medical training as quickly as possible.

 

 

How does Bilharzia affect us?

 

A very small worm getting inside our bodies causes the disease. It likes living inside of us and lays its eggs inside you. The eggs leave your body when you

go to the toilet – both urine and solid waste

The little eggs then wait for someone else to come along and come into contact with them. Someone can do this by:

·        drinking the water into which you have been to the toilet

·        washing in that water

·        bathing in that water

·        standing in the water

 

It is then that the eggs pass into YOUR body 

They will work their way into your stomach and grow into adults, who lay more eggs and so the whole cycle begins again. Your body will not like having these worms inside it and you will become ill – so get help quickly

 

 

 

Some games to play

 

1.      Think of where you live and draw a picture of where you or one of your family gets the water you drink from. Does the water flow quickly or slowly.

2.      Draw a picture of yourself and put a big arrow pointing at your stomach.

3.      Make some pictures, or draw them on your slate that show how the small worms get into you stomach or tummy.

 

What can we do about Bilharzia?

 

There are many things which can be done to help prevent the spreading of this disease.

 

1.      Let’s think about stopping the eggs getting into the water – how can we do this?

 

Well, the eggs get into the water by people placing their rubbish in the water or by going to the toilet in the same water as they will use for drinking. So, try to tell people to find somewhere else to empty their rubbish or go to the toilet. Why not encourage people to burn their rubbish as far away from the drinking water source as possible.

Try to stop people putting rubbish near the drinking water supply and also remember that going to the toilet in or near your drinking water supply is VERY dangerous.

 

2.      Cleaning water so as it is safe to drink

 

Place some of the water in a clean pot on the fire and boil it for as long as you can. Then let it cool. Whilst the cooling is taking place try to find a clean piece of cloth and cover the top of the pot with it. Make certain that the boiled water is kept in a clean place and do NOT mix it with any water that has NOT been boiled.

If you can find a clean piece of very fine cloth and an old pair of tights are perfect for this (once they have been washed!) pour the cooled water through the cloth. This will help filter out the eggs and make the water safer to drink. If you can do both of these, that is boil and filter your water,  then you will be helping everyone who drinks the water to stay fitter and happier.

3 You must try not to touch water before you have boiled and filtered it

If you stand, sit or bathe is water that might be hiding some eggs in it then you might become ill. It is not easy to fetch water and not put your feet in the water. Why not try to build a small platform out into the stream, river or pond and ONLY collect water by standing on this platform. Then you will NOT be in direct contact with the water. You can drop the bucket into the water by tying a piece of string or rope to it, and then it won’t float away. By doing this you are safe whilst collecting water. You MUST NOT touch the unboiled and filtered water, or you might become ill.

 

 

4 What to do when you are washing

 

When you want to wash yourself remember some simple rules. Try to use water that has been cleaned. If this is not possible try to use water that has been drawn from a fast flowing stream or river. Once you have used the water pour it away. DON’T let someone else use your water.

Other safe places to get water from are:

·        a tap

·        a bore hole

 

REMEMBER IF YOU FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE RULES YOU CAN HELP YOU, YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND OTHERS NOT TO CATCH THIS DISEASE. IT CAN BE FATAL.

 

So, let’s think about the main points of our prevention campaign again.

 

·        Stop the eggs getting into the water. This will break the cycle of Bilharzia.

·        By doing this you will help people not to catch this dangerous disease

·        The fewer people carrying the eggs the less the chance that others will catch the disease

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING POSITIVE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF BILHARZIA

Community Action

You might like to discuss some ideas with the older members of your family or community. Ask them about:

·        Asking everyone where they think they are at risk of catching this disease

·        Asking them about trying to get as much of their water supply from rainfall. They can do this by using plastic buckets or other clean containers. Remember to filter this water as some insects may have landed in it. It is always safest to BOIL water before using it for cooking and washing

·        At school try to think of some songs, posters, poems and even little plays that help you and friends tell others of the dangers of Bilharzia and how it can be stopped.