Worm related disease

Worm related disease

I read with interest the article about worm related diseases,
in The Jakarta Post on Oct. 18, 1994.

To discuss these diseases in a seminar, in Jakarta, hopefully
will trigger the interests of various parties in fighting these
diseases more intensively.

The efforts to eradicate worm related diseases were started
in the 1930s, in the Banyumas regency, Central Java, with aid
from the Rockefeller Foundation, under the auspices of Dr.
Heidrich.

After more than 40 years, worm related diseases became a big
problem in Indonesia. The data prepared by the Perkumpulan
Pemberantasan Penyakit Parasit Indonesia (P4I-Indonesian Parasite
Control Association) stated, in 1992, intestinal worm infections
had a very high reading, with a prevalence of round worms at 70-
90 percent, whip worms 80-95 percent, and hookworm 30-59 percent.
This means that during more than sixty years, the deworming
campaign has virtually made no progress.

Massive deworming programs will incur great expense, where as
government funds are terribly limited. AIDS control programs are
given higher priority and, therefore, the active role of society
in deworming activities is highly desirable.

In Jakarta, the elementary schools have participated in
deworming programs since 1987, with parents contributing Rp 1000
per pupil annually. The money is used for financing a series of
campaigning activities to benefit the pupils, teachers as well as
parents, and laboratory examinations (twice a year) and treatment
for worm infected pupils. Through continued and regularly
programmed education and campaigning activities, coupled with
periodic examinations and treatment of the disease, the
prevalence of worm infections among school children has declined
from 78.6 percent to 42.8 percent, and in some locations the
prevalence of the disease goes down to below 30 percent.

It is heartening to learn that prevalence of worm infections
continue to decrease although sanitation is still relatively
poor. This demonstrates that integrated and continual health
education has resulted in the growing awareness of the importance
of maintaining a sanitary environment among school children.

Regions all over the country should also make similar efforts
towards solving the problems of worm infections.

ADI SASONGKO

Kusuma Buana Foundation

Jakarta