Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T17:29:47.615Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effectiveness of combined control measures on the prevalence of guinea worm disease in Anambra State, Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

O. C. Nwaorgu
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Anambra State University of Technology, P.M.B. 01660, Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

The prevalence of guinea worm Dracunculus medinensis was determined in communities in Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria during the 1984–1985 guinea worm season. Thereafter combined intervention measures which included health education and community participation in pond treatment were introduced in one of the two communities. There was a decrease in disease prevalence from 88.7% to 33% in Group A (372 households) and from 88% to 53% in Group B (368 households), two years after control measures were introduced in Igbeagu community. However, in 345 households in Mpu community without control measures, any decrease was not significant (from 88·7% to 86·5%). Health Education combined with pond disinfection proved to be a much better intervention measure, contributing to the change in attitude and therefore decrease in disease prevalence, than pond disinfection alone.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCE

Abolafin, M. O. (1981) Guinea worm infection in a Nigerian village. Tropical and Geographical Medicine, 33, 8388.Google Scholar
Akpovi, S. U., Johnson, D. C. & Brieger, W. R. (1981) Guinea worm control: testing the efficiency of health education in primary care. International Journal of Health Education, 24, 229237.Google Scholar
Anon. (1989) Nigerian Guinea Worm Eradication Programme. Ministry of Health, Lagos, Nigeria, 27 pp.Google Scholar
Bhatt, A. N. & Polain, K. N. (1978) Guinea worm infection in Banaskanthan District of Gujarat. Some important epidemiological aspects. Indian Journal of Medical Science, 32, 14.Google ScholarPubMed
Edungbola, L. D. (1985) A general appraisal of dracunculiasis and its implications. In: Dracunculiasis in Nigeria, Proceedings of Conference in Ilorin, SDD: Enugu, Nigeria, 11 pp.Google Scholar
Edungbola, L. D. & Watts, S. J. (1989) Water supply and guinea worm. Abstract. 15th Water, Engineering and Development in Africa Conference, Kano, Nigeria, pp. 2932.Google Scholar
Feachem, R. G. A. (1981) Water, Health and Development. An Interdisciplinary Eradication. Tri-Med Books Ltd., London.Google Scholar
Gbary, A. R., Guiguemde, J. R. & Ouedraogo, J. B. (1987) (Dracunculiasis eradication through health education in three hyperendemic villages in Burkina Faso.) Bulletin de la Societé de Pathologie Exotique, 80, 390395.Google ScholarPubMed
Hopkins, D. R. (1983) Dracunculiasis: An eradicable scourge. Epidemiological Reviews, 5, 208219.Google Scholar
Hopkins, D. R. (1988) Dracunculiasis eradication: the tide has turned. Lancet, ii, 148150.Google Scholar
Kale, O. O. (1982) Fall in incidence of guinea worm infection in western Nigeria after periodic treatment of infected persons. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 60, 951957.Google Scholar
Muller, R. (1971) Dracunculus and dracunculiasis. Advances in Parasitology, 9, 73151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nwosu, A. B. C., Ifezulike, E. C. & Anya, A. O. (1982) Endemic dracunculiasis in Anambra State of Nigeria: geographical distribution, clinical features, epidemiology and socio-economic impact of the disease. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 76, 187200.Google Scholar
Sasfry, S. C., Jayakumar, K. & Lakshminarayana, V. (1978) Abate-its value as a cyclopscide. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 81, 156158.Google Scholar
Watts, S. J. (1987) Dracunculiasis in Africa: its risk populations. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 37, 121127.Google Scholar