Neu: 2002-01-13 Contents of this issue:
1. Treatment Apathy ======================================================================== January 13th, 2002 1. Treatment Apathy: Niue health officials proudly claim a 100% "hit" with the worm killing tablets for filariasis eradication. But in American Samoa just over 57% of the territory's population has taken doses of the medicine. Public Health officials in PagoPago are disappointed as its goal was to have 85% or more of the population take the medicine last year. But officials are confident that they will do a better job in the next four years. The filariasis eradication program is a five-year program funded by the World Health Organisation and the U.S. Centre for Disease Control. Niue has carried out a massive campaign to stamp out the disease with two doses distributed over the past two years.. "We are not thrilled with our figures but we are also optimistic that our overall goal to wipe out the disease in the territory is achievable," said Sivia Sunia, the American Samoa Public Health's assistant director for programs. The disease is caused by a microscopic worm spread by mosquitoes. Sunia said the medicine will kill filariasis baby worms and, after taking it again, it will eventually wipe out the worm completely from the bloodstream. Lymphatic filariasis causes enlargement of the entire leg or arm, the genitals, vulva and breasts. Even more common is hidden, internal damage to the kidneys and lymphatic system caused by the filariae. The World Health Organisation's Global Program has two components: firstly, to stop the spread of infection such as through the American Samoa medicine programme; and secondly, to alleviate the suffering of affected individuals. Public Health initially thought that everyone in each village would cooperate with the program by meeting Public Health staffers at a certain house to take the medicine. "We only improved the figures when we visited people by going from house and house," Sunia explained. "By that time, it was towards the ending of the program. We could've walked from home to home and covered the island within a month's time." Another issue was the consent form for children sent out prior to the campaign. The form is in English and it was Public Health's understanding that the teachers would explain the forms when they were handing them out to the students. Sunia said that Public Health could have put in a paragraph in the form easily explaining (in English and Samoan) what is to happen. "We have learned our lessons and we will plan for to better our campaign later this year," he said. Sunia said they could have easily played with the figures but they would only be cheating themselves. "Our campaign coincides with filariasis campaigns in other Pacific Islands and this is very beneficial." On Niue health officials selected one day when all residents on the island were handed out medicine which was distributed under supervision by health officials in all villages. Blood samples were later taken to check the disease had been eradicated.( Various /PINA Nius Online). __END__
