Amy Moran-Thomas
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691157382
- eISBN:
- 9781400846801
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691157382.003.0011
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter takes the program for the eradication of the guinea worm in northern Ghana as a launching point from which to examine the different epistemologies at work in global health initiatives. ...
More
This chapter takes the program for the eradication of the guinea worm in northern Ghana as a launching point from which to examine the different epistemologies at work in global health initiatives. It teases out the ways in which the local landscape of health care is changed and imagined through such initiatives, and the ways in which people actively engage with them, transforming biology and magic into heuristics for one another. By collecting remnants of worm stories, traditions still remembered but no longer believed, fading memories, or chance moments, the author in part seeking to critically document a seminal moment in public health—a field with a notoriously short memory—in hopes that the experiences gained from this historical eradication program may hold lessons for future policy efforts. It is also an attempt to create a record of the living guinea worm itself, the human struggles it has crystallized and fragments of stories from the people, politics, and places it traveled through for centuries.Less
This chapter takes the program for the eradication of the guinea worm in northern Ghana as a launching point from which to examine the different epistemologies at work in global health initiatives. It teases out the ways in which the local landscape of health care is changed and imagined through such initiatives, and the ways in which people actively engage with them, transforming biology and magic into heuristics for one another. By collecting remnants of worm stories, traditions still remembered but no longer believed, fading memories, or chance moments, the author in part seeking to critically document a seminal moment in public health—a field with a notoriously short memory—in hopes that the experiences gained from this historical eradication program may hold lessons for future policy efforts. It is also an attempt to create a record of the living guinea worm itself, the human struggles it has crystallized and fragments of stories from the people, politics, and places it traveled through for centuries.
Dickson D. Despommier and William C. Campbell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231161947
- eISBN:
- 9780231535267
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231161947.003.0007
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter focuses on the proliferation and infection of Dracunculus medinensis in the body of its host. Dracunculus medinensis or Guinea worm is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis. The ...
More
This chapter focuses on the proliferation and infection of Dracunculus medinensis in the body of its host. Dracunculus medinensis or Guinea worm is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis. The life-cycle for Dracunculus medinensis starts out when a person drinks water that contains copepods-group of small crustaceans found in the sea. After the infected copepod is swallowed, the infective larva is digested away and is carried to the small intestine where it matures. The adult worm lives embedded in the subcutaneous tissues, just under the dermis (outer skin), for up to a year. Its head is pointed down and is usually located at the level of the ankle or the top of the foot causing blister formation that takes place over several weeks.Less
This chapter focuses on the proliferation and infection of Dracunculus medinensis in the body of its host. Dracunculus medinensis or Guinea worm is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis. The life-cycle for Dracunculus medinensis starts out when a person drinks water that contains copepods-group of small crustaceans found in the sea. After the infected copepod is swallowed, the infective larva is digested away and is carried to the small intestine where it matures. The adult worm lives embedded in the subcutaneous tissues, just under the dermis (outer skin), for up to a year. Its head is pointed down and is usually located at the level of the ankle or the top of the foot causing blister formation that takes place over several weeks.
Stephen L. Cochi and Walter R. Dowdle (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262016735
- eISBN:
- 9780262304207
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262016735.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
Disease eradication represents the ultimate in global equity and the definitive outcome of good public health practice. Thirty years ago, the elimination of smallpox defined disease eradication as a ...
More
Disease eradication represents the ultimate in global equity and the definitive outcome of good public health practice. Thirty years ago, the elimination of smallpox defined disease eradication as a monumental global achievement with lasting benefits for society. Today, the global commitment to eradicate polio and guinea worm, and heightened interest in the potential eradication of other infectious diseases, including measles/rubella, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and malaria, dominate public health concerns. But what does it take to eradicate a disease? This book takes a look at the evolving concepts of disease eradication, influenced by scientific advances, field experience, societal issues, and economic realities. A diverse group of experts from around the world, representing a range of disciplines, examines the biological, social, political, and economic complexities of eradicating a disease. The book details lessons learned from the initiatives against polio, measles/rubella, and onchocerciasis. Further chapters examine ethical issues, the investment case, governance models, organizational and institutional arrangements, political and social factors, the feasibility of eradication goals, priority setting, and the integration of disease eradication programs with existing health systems.Less
Disease eradication represents the ultimate in global equity and the definitive outcome of good public health practice. Thirty years ago, the elimination of smallpox defined disease eradication as a monumental global achievement with lasting benefits for society. Today, the global commitment to eradicate polio and guinea worm, and heightened interest in the potential eradication of other infectious diseases, including measles/rubella, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and malaria, dominate public health concerns. But what does it take to eradicate a disease? This book takes a look at the evolving concepts of disease eradication, influenced by scientific advances, field experience, societal issues, and economic realities. A diverse group of experts from around the world, representing a range of disciplines, examines the biological, social, political, and economic complexities of eradicating a disease. The book details lessons learned from the initiatives against polio, measles/rubella, and onchocerciasis. Further chapters examine ethical issues, the investment case, governance models, organizational and institutional arrangements, political and social factors, the feasibility of eradication goals, priority setting, and the integration of disease eradication programs with existing health systems.
