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Statistical Analysis Of The Reported Cases Of Onchocerciasis (river Blindness) Disease From 2000-2011
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Onchocercias is increasingly
recognized as one of the major diseases of public health importance in
endemic parts of the word, especially in sub-Saharan, Africa. West
Africa includes the most endemic areas in the world; Nigeria being one
of the largest countries in West Africa has been reported to have a high
incidence of onchocerciasis infection with 7 million people with the
disease and 40 million at risk. Onchocerciasis is the world’s second
leading infectious cause of blindness. It is not the nematode, but its
endosymbiont, Wolbachia pipientis that causes the severe inflammatory
response that leaves many blind. An estimated 18 million people suffer
from Onchocerciasis, world wide. Onchocerciasis is a chronic parasitic
infection caused by the filarial nematode, onchocerca volvulus. This
disease is transmitted from one individual to another through the bites
of black fly simulium damnosum of the family simulidae (Nwoke et al,
1991) normally found near streams and rivers (giving disease its common
name River Blindness).Sometimes, the bite transmits parasitic worms into
the body. As they spread, they cause terrible itching, muscle pains and
weakness. Eventually when the worms reach the adult stage, they attack
the eyes leading to permanent blindness. The entire process may take up
to 30 years from the first bite.
One can ask, how common is
Onchocercasis (River Blindness)? Currently 35 countries around the
world are affected by Onchocerciasis. It is an ancient disease of Africa
and accordingly, 28 of the affected countries and over 90% of all
infected people are in Africa. With the rest occurring in 6 countries in
Latin America at in Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula. In some
communities in Africa, 50% of the men over age 40 have been blinded by
Onchocerciasis. It is found in rural often poor populations living near
fast flowing rivers, rapid and other turbulent waters where the black
fly vector breeds. While the women draw water from village wells the men
often fish and farm near the fast flowing rivers.
Onchocerciasis has become endemic in central and South America as well,
affecting 70,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico alone. Other small
isolated endemic foci occur in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, Ecuador.
The prevalence of infection is nearly zero at birth, since
Onchocercasis can but seldom does; undergo intrauterine transmission and
increases with age to a high plateau later in life reaching 100% in
hyperedemic areas. Similarly, intensity of infection increases with age
to a plateau between age 30 and 50 years.
Geographical differences in the disease manifestation may result from variations in;
a. Different forms of species of the vector with different life cycle and habits.
b. Different parasite strains with varying pathology and antigenic make up.
c. The degree of the host(s) susceptibility
1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
The
last two decades have seen a re-emergence of river blindness in Nigeria
due to increasing poverty and insufficient social amenities in the
rural areas. Nigeria is made up of 36 states plus F.C.T, 18 out of this
number representing 49 percent of the states are river blindness prone
states. They include Abia, Anambra, Benue, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Enugu,
Ekiti, Edo, F.C.T, Imo, Kano, Kwara, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Taraba and
Zamfara. Out of these affected states, Ebonyi State has the highest case
in the South-East zone.
The presence of Onchcercal skin
lesions is unsightly and has a psychosocial effect on the affected.
Onchocerciasis is among the five neglected disease in Nigeria (i.e.
Guinea worm, River Blindness, Elephantiasis, Bilharzias and leprosy).
From 1969-1970 several African countries including Nigeria applied for
aid from, World Bank, UNDP, WHO and USAID in launching control programs.
July 1970 a meeting in Geneva set up an international study mission to
collect and access epidemiological economic and other data in
preparation for a multinational control program on river-blindness. They
found out that about 90% of onchocerciasis cases occur in Africa.
Onchocercasis is endemic in 28 African countries including Nigeria.
Of recent Ebonyi state government enacted a program that in every year
there must be a workshop in the state in general in which citizens shall
be educated particular on the issue of Onchocerciasis as one of its
strategies for mass mobilization cause. But then the disease seems to be
stubborn and obstinate. The Federal Government in conjunction with the
state government and the NGO’s established the primary health care
program the disease proved the program null and void. The number of
Onchocerciasis cases in Ebonyi state keeps on increasing by the day.
The improvement in the health status of the citizens is a significant
co-factor in the poverty reduction efforts. Nevertheless, with all these
failure, anxieties of the incessant increase of Onchocerciasis cases in
our society today were the bases of this study. This study is also
designed to find out the causes, control activities and solutions to
eradicate onchocerciasis within the shorted period.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Onchocerciasis is increasingly recognized as one of the major diseases of public health importance in endemic parts of the world, especially in Sub-Saharan, Africa. (WHO 1995).The main purpose of this study is to carry out a statistical analysis of the reported cases of onchocerciasis disease, from 2000-2011. A case study of federal Medical Center Abalkaliki,Ebonyi State. This research project looked into the distribution of ochocerciasis patients by sex from 2000-2011, prediction of the possibl ... Continue reading---
