COMMON DISEASES: MALARIA, TB, TYPHOID, MEASLES

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Can you name the four most common types of germs that cause disease? Knowing how to tell the difference between different diseases tells us how to treat it - and can tell us when we have to go to the doctor. Your communities have reported that the most common diseases they see are: Malaria, TB, Typhoid, Measles, and diarrhea. We will discuss each one below.

 

There are many different ways to teach about a disease. One way is by explaining every disease using 5 key steps:

1. What: What is the disease?

 

2. Causes: How do you get the disease/where does the disease come from?

 

3. Symptoms: What are the symptoms of the disease?

 

4. Treatment: How do we treat/cure the disease?

 

5. Prevention: How to we stop people from getting the disease?

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As you learn about these diseases, think about whether there are other ways of teaching this information that are more interesting? Easier to remember? Simpler?

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MALARIA

What Causes Malaria is a parasite infection in the blood. Some mosquitos carry a very small parasite and when they drink your blood, the parasite gets into your blood. Malaria is not passed by the sun.

 

Symptoms

Fever that comes and goes.

Shaking and sweating.

Tired.

Weakness.

Aching bones.

Muscles feel better and worse daily.

 

Treatment

Tablets with two medicines in it, like CoArtem. We used to take Chloroquine, but people took it too often and it no longer works. You should always get a malaria test before taking medicine. Traditional herbs sometimes work, but only if it is the correct herb, the right amount, and for the correct time. This is hard to measure - and many city traditional doctors do not know. Antibiotics never work on malaria.

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Prevention

Cover and Clear: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in shallow, still water. Look out for: buckets of water, shallow wells, trash, and big storage containers. Cover all still water sources and Clear trash. Malaria mosquitos like to bite in the evening.

Skin Sprays: Put on often or else sweat washes the spray away. Room Sprays/Coils: Only work well in a room that is shut - no open windows or ways for things outside to get in.

Treated mosquito nets: The net should not have any holes, tucked into the sides of the bed and not touching any skin.

 

The only way to know if a person has malaria is through a test. There are two types of tests:

RDT (rapid diagnosis test): This test uses a small amount of blood (usually taken from the finger) and is returned in 15-30 minutes. People who are not medically trained can learn how to give an RDT. A RDT can only tell you that you have malaria - not how high the malaria is.

Blood test: The other way to test for a trained medical professional to take blood and study it for malaria parasites. They use a microscope (a tool that allows very small things to be seen up close), and can see the parasite - this allows them to tell if you small or high malaria (+ - +++).

 

DISCUSSION: Why do some people believe that malaria is passed by the sun? What is a good way to respond?

 

GAME: Break into teams. Each team creates a skit on why you should take a test before taking malaria medication.

 

DISCUSSION: What are some of the ways people treat malaria using traditional medicine? Is this practice safe?

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TUBERCULOSIS

What Causes Tuberculosis or TB is a bacteria infection that usually attacks the lungs. TB passes very easily through cough, spit, and sneeze. It is very contagious! If someone has TB, they should wash hands, wear a mask, wear gloves, and follow what the doctor says every day. It is very easy to get if a person has weak health, poor nutrition, or is sick with HIV.

 

Symptoms

Long-lasting cough that is worse just after waking.

Fever.

Pain in chest/upper back.

Weakness and weight loss.

More serious cases include: coughing up blood, scratchy voice, and lighter skin color.

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Treatment

There are different kinds of TB, and you have to go to the doctor for help. In Nigeria, the test is free, but a person MAY have to pay for the equipment. Over the counter antibiotics will not help. The most common form takes 6 months to cure. For the first two months, a person may be kept apart from others and required to visit the doctor every day for the medicine. After that, they have to take medicine for another 2-4 months until tests say it is all gone.

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Prevention Cover mouth when coughing, don't spit on the ground. If a person shows any of these signs for three weeks or more, go to the doctor to take the free TB test. If a person has TB, their family should be tested and they should sleep separately until better. There is a vaccine for children called BCG. It stops working on adults, but is really important for protecting children from this deadly disease.

 

PRACTICE: The very long treatment time can lead to people stopping early. 2 volunteers demonstrate talking to people about the importance of finishing medication.

 

DISCUSSION: What are some of the ways people treat TB using traditional medicine? Is this practice safe?

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TYPHOID

What Causes Typhoid is a bacterial infection that lives in the gut but affects the whole body. Not washing hands after pooping and then handling food or shared water. Water contaminated by poop. Uncooked/unwashed foods that have been contaminated by poop.

 

Symptoms

Fever.

Headache.

Sore throat.

Cough.

Weakness and trembling.

Confusion.

Rash.

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Treatment

Antibacterial tablets.

You should always get a Typhoid test before taking medication. Sometimes when it is really bad (blood in poop, rash on the skin) a person has to go to the hospital to get an IV and other emergency care.

Rehydration drink and other liquids, as well as nutritious foods like meat broth and eggs.

Lots of sleep.

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Prevention Move toilets away from water that people use to clean, drink, or bathe in. Make sure drinking water and water used in and on food is clean and boiled. Always wash hands before cooking or eating using boiled water that has not been used by others. The typhoid vaccine can come as a pill or as an injection. It has to be renewed every few years, and does not completely prevent typhoid - rather it limits how easily a person can get the disease.

 

SKIT: The teacher whispers to two different people what sickness they have (typhoid or malaria). Each person comes up and pretends to be sick - and describes how it feels. Without discussing with your neighbors, write down what you think each person has. Discuss results.

 

DISCUSSION: What are some of the ways people treat typhoid using traditional medicine? Is this practice safe?

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MEASLES (RUBELLA)

What Causes Measles, also called rubella, is a virus that attacks the 'respiratory' system (see day 1) Most common in children who have malnutrition, but can also pass during pregnancy, labor, or nursing. It passes easily through spit - coughing, sneezing, and kissing; it can also be passed by touching.

 

Symptoms

Cold symptoms: cough, fever, runny nose. Tiny white spots appear in mouth. Rash: Starts behind ears and on neck. Spreads to whole body. If black spots appear in the rash, the person is very sick.

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Treatment

Antibiotics do not work on measles. Rest, rehydration drink and other liquids, and nutritious food - broth, eggs, etc. Vitamin A makes a child stronger and may prevent blindness. It is not a cure. Keep a child with measles away from other children.

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Prevention Children should regularly wash their hands - before they eat, after they play, after they use the toilet. Healthy foods and diets. There is a vaccine that is given to children. This is the BEST way to prevent, and can also save other children.

 

GAME: Separate into groups and develop a song about how to prevent and treat measles. Sing back to group - who wins?

 

DISCUSSION: What are some of the ways people treat malaria using traditional medicine? Is this practice safe?

 

DIARRHEA

Diarrhea is not caused by one single kind of germ - it is a symptom of many different kinds of illnesses, allergies, infections, bad food, and even poor nutrition. When you have diarrhea, your body pulls water from other parts of your body and pushes it out through your intestines. When your body loses too much water in this way, your body will stop working and you will die from dehydration.

 

Together, list some of the causes of diarrhea: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Diarrhea is very common - many of is get it quite regularly, but if not watched and treated, it can kill you. It is also one of the most common killer's of children.

 

Treatment

Rehydration: Drink. Gentle foods - watery rice, bean or meat broth, milk, watery pounded yam, crackers, papaya, bananas, etc. NO alcohol, laxatives/purges, greasy foods. For some diarrheas - usually when there is a fever and blood - antibiotics may be needed, but antibiotics will not work on other kinds of diarrhea.

 

Prevention

Good food and clean water can prevent most diarrheas in children. For diarrhea caused by bacteria, washing hands regularly is important.

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GAME: Have the room split into two teams. The teacher will read out a series of statements or questions. The group who gets the most points wins.

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ACTIVITY: Handout the rehydration drink directions. Teach the whole group how to teach making the rehydration drink. 3 volunteers now demonstrate teaching how to make the rehydration drink.

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