Length-weight relationship of fishes from Anambra ... - Zoo-unn.org

UBACHUKWU, Patience Obiageli28Government Area, as well as other endemicareas in the nation, the Ministry of Health incollaboration with World Health Organization(WHO) and non-governmental DevelopmentOrganizations (NGDO), have been distributingivermectin (Mectizan) since 1996 under theCommunity Directed Distribution (CDD)Programme of African Programme forOnchocerciasis Control (APOC) (WHO, 1996).Inspite of this programme, most people of thislocal government area, apart from few teachers,health officers and the Community DirectedDistributors, have no idea of any drug used fortreating onchocerciasis. Even those takingivermectin do not know the disease for whichthey are taking the drug. Although ivermectin issupposed to be taken for about 10 yearswithout break, many people in this area refusedto take it after the first experience because ofsome observed side effects. As far as suchpeople are concerned, the drug causes disease.They feel more at home with the manifestationsof onchocerciasis than with the side effectsresulting from the treatment. The side effectsare such that in two communities (Adaba andNkpologu), few people (1 and 2 respectively)died from excessive swelling after taking thedrug and as a result, many people prefer to livewith the disease than to die from treating it. Itshould be noted, however, that the root causeof the deaths is ignorance. Some people, suchas those with respiratory problems liketuberculosis and asthma, who are not supposedto take the drug, take it and others drink alcohol(which should not be taken) after taking thedrug, all due to ignorance. In one community(Uvuru), there was propaganda that the aim ofthe drug is to reduce the population of theircommunity and so many people refuse to takeit.As mentioned earlier, one other problemthat hinders people from taking the righttreatment for onchocerciasis is poverty. Manypeople cannot afford to go to good hospitals tobe treated even when they know that they canbe treated. Most people testify of people thatwent to good hospitals and were cured of theirmanifestations, especially onchodermatitis,which is most dreaded but there are otherpeople still suffering from the samemanifestation in the same locality. Some of suchpeople, due to poverty, go to herbalists andpatent medicine dealers who are not in a goodposition to help them.SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONSFrom the results reported in this paper, thepeople of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Areaknow the blackfly but do not associate the biteswith any disease. They also know themanifestations of onchocerciasis but they do notknow the cause. They attribute them to variouscauses such as poor hygiene, inheritance andold age. Because of ignorance and poverty, thepeople do not take the right treatment for thesemanifestations. Even the choice drug foronchocerciasis treatment, ivermectin, which isbeing distributed free of charge in the localgovernment area, is not taken by many peoplebecause of fear and misconceptions.From their responses, it is obvious thatthe people are aware of both the diurnal rhythmand seasonality of the blackfly/human contact.Their major problem is inability to associate thebites of these blackflies with the variousmanifestations of onchocerciasis, probably as aresult of the long period between infection andmanifestation of the various effects of thedisease (1-3 years). With this knowledge, itappears that the most relevant interventionstrategy required in this area at the moment isenlightenment. This enlightenment programmecan be planned to educate them on thefollowing:(i) The association betweenblackfly bites and infection withOnchocerca volvulus.(ii) The length of time taken for theinfection to produce the various(iii)observable manifestations.The fact that onchocerciasismanifestations are notcontagious. This will removethe social stigma associatedwith such manifestationsespecially rashes.(iv) The importance of takingivermectin once a year for atleast ten years in order toeliminate the reservoir in man.This will mean that even whenthe blackfly bites man, therewill be no transmission of theparasites.(v) The safety of ivermectin iftaken according to the laiddown guidelines (e.g. noalcohol intake, no previoushistory of respiratory or heartdisease etc).