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United Front Against Riverblindness
United Front Against Riverblindness (UFAR) is a Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGDO) that provides technical, managerial and financial support for the elimination of riverblindness, or onchocerciasis, in the Kasongo region of Maniema province in the east-southern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). UFAR and its partners use the community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) approach recommended by the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO). Each year UFAR ensures the treatment of about one million people in what is referred to as the CDTI Kasongo project to prevent the further transmission of the parasitic disease onchocerciasis to uninfected persons and to halt the progression of the disease in those already infected. History United Front Against Riverblindness was formed in 2004 and recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The organization ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindness due to infection, after trachoma. The parasitic worm is spread by the bites of a black fly of the ''Simulium'' genus. Usually, many bites are required before infection occurs. These flies live near rivers, hence the common name of the disease, River blindness. Once inside a person, the worms create larvae that make their way out to the skin, where they can infect the next black fly that bites the person. There are a number of ways to make the diagnosis, including placing a biopsy of the skin in normal saline and watching for the larva to come out, looking in the eye for larvae, and looking within the bumps under the skin for adult worms. A vaccine against the disease does not exist. Prevention is by avoiding being bitten by flies. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Fly
A black fly or blackfly (sometimes called a buffalo gnat, turkey gnat, or white socks) is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Culicomorpha infraorder. It is related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and Thaumaleidae. Over 2,200 species of black flies have been formally named, of which 15 are extinct. They are divided into two subfamilies: Parasimuliinae contains only one genus and four species; Simuliinae contains all the rest. Over 1,800 of the species belong to the genus '' Simulium''. Most black flies gain nourishment by feeding on the blood of mammals, including humans, although the males feed mainly on nectar. They are usually small, black or gray, with short legs and antennae. They are a common nuisance for humans, and many U.S. states have programs to suppress the black fly population. They spread several diseases, including river blindness in Africa (''Simulium damnosum'' and ''S. neavei'') and the Americas (''S. callidum'' and ''S. metallicum'' in C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charities Based In New Jersey
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a charitable organization (and of charity) varies between countries and in some instances regions of the country. The regulation, the tax treatment, and the way in which charity law affects charitable organizations also vary. Charitable organizations may not use any of their funds to profit individual persons or entities. However, some charitable organizations have come under scrutiny for spending a disproportionate amount of their income to pay the salaries of their leadership. Financial figures (e.g. tax refunds, revenue from fundraising, revenue from the sale of goods and services or revenue from investment, and funds held in reserve) are indicators to assess the financial sustainability of a charity, especially to charity evaluators. This ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tropical Medicine Organizations
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's axial tilt; the width of the tropics (in latitude) is twice the tilt. The tropics are also referred to as the tropical zone and the torrid zone (see geographical zone). Due to the overhead sun, the tropics receive the most solar energy over the course of the year, and consequently have the highest temperatures on the planet. Even when not directly overhead, the sun is still close to overhead throughout the year, therefore the tropics also have the lowest seasonal variation on the planet; "winter" and "summer" lose their temperature contrast. Instead, seasons are more commonly divided by precipitation variations than by temperature variations. The tropics maintain wide diversity of local climates, such as rain forests, monsoons, savannahs, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Health In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo
Health problems have been a long-standing issue limiting development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is fulfilling 73.1% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, the Democratic Republic of the Congo achieves 96.6% of what is expected based on its current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 100.0% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. The Democratic Republic of the Congo falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 22.8% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available. Health infrastructure Medical facilities are severely limited, medical materials are in short supply. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms (helminths). These diseases are contrasted with the "big three" infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), which generally receive greater treatment and research funding. In sub-Saharan Africa, disease burden, the effect of neglected tropical diseases as a group is comparable to that of malaria and tuberculosis. NTD co-infection can also make HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis more deadly. Some treatments for NTDs are relatively inexpensive. For example, praziquantel for schistosomiasis costs about US $0.20 per child per year. Nevertheless, in 2010 it was estimated that control of neglected diseases would require funding of between US$2 billion and $3 billion over the subsequent five to sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Depigmentation
Depigmentation is the lightening of the skin or loss of pigment. Depigmentation of the skin can be caused by a number of local and systemic conditions. The pigment loss can be partial (injury to the skin) or complete (caused by vitiligo). It can be temporary (from tinea versicolor) or permanent (from albinism). Most commonly, depigmentation of the skin is linked to people born with vitiligo, which produces differing areas of light and dark skin. Monobenzone also causes skin depigmentation. Increasingly, people who are not afflicted with vitiligo experiment with lower concentrations of monobenzone creams in the hope of lightening their skin tone evenly. An alternate method of lightening is to use the chemical mequinol over an extended period of time. Both monobenzone and mequinol produce dramatic skin whitening, but react very differently. Mequinol leaves the skin looking extremely pale. However, tanning is still possible. It is important to notice that the skin will not go back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microfilariae
The microfilaria (plural microfilariae, sometimes abbreviated mf) is an early stage in the life cycle of certain parasitic nematodes in the family Onchocercidae. In these species, the adults live in a tissue or the circulatory system of vertebrates (the "definitive hosts"). They release microfilariae into the bloodstream of the vertebrate host. The microfilariae are taken up by blood-feeding arthropod vectors (the " intermediate hosts"). In the intermediate host the microfilariae develop into infective larvae that can be transmitted to a new vertebrate host. The presence of microfilariae in the host bloodstream is called "microfilaraemia". The success of filariasis eradication programs is typically gauged by the reduction in numbers of circulating microfilariae in infested individuals within a geographic area. ''Microfilaria'' may also refer to an informal "collective group" genus name, proposed by Cobbold in 1882. While a convenient category for newly discovered microfilaria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parasitic Diseases
A parasitic disease, also known as parasitosis, is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitology. Medical parasitology is concerned with three major groups of parasites: parasitic protozoa, helminths, and parasitic arthropods. Parasitic diseases are thus considered those diseases that are caused by pathogens belonging taxonomically to either the animal kingdom, or the protozoan kingdom. Terminology Although organisms such as bacteria function as parasites, the usage of the term "parasitic disease" is usually more restricted. The three main types of organisms causing these conditions are protozoa (causing protozoan infection), helminths (helminthiasis), and ectoparasites. Protozoa and helminths are usually endoparasites (usually living inside the body of the host), while ectoparasites usually live on the surface of the host. Proto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivermectin
Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, it is used to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis), strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through many mechanisms to kill the targeted parasites, and can be taken by mouth, or applied to the skin for external infestations. It belongs to the avermectin family of medications. William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura were awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for its discovery and applications. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an antiparasitic agent. In 2022, it was the 314th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 200,000 prescriptions. It is available as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kasongo
Kasongo, also known as Piani Kasongo, is a town and territory in the Maniema Province in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Geography Kasongo lies east of the Lualaba River, northwest of where it meets the Luama River, at an altitude of . Its population is approximately 63,000. The town is served by Kasongo Airport. Kasongo is connected to the provincial capital Kindu by the Kasongo Road (a section of National Road 31 (N31)), but the journey takes two days due to the road's poor state. The City also lies on National Road 2 (N2) and Regional Road 629 (R629).. Kasongo is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kasongo. History The town was founded around 1850 to 1860. A few years later it became the capital of the newly founded and short-lived Sultanate of Utetera, established and initially ruled by the Swahili–Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab dias ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Keller International
Helen Keller Intl is a US-based nonprofit organization that combats the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition by establishing programs based on evidence and research in vision, health, and nutrition. Founded in 1915 by Helen Keller and George A. Kessler, the organization's mission is to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Helen Keller's three major areas of expertise are eye health, healthcare, and nutrition. Its eye health programs address the major causes of blindness in the world, including cataract, trachoma, and onchocerciasis, and treating refractive error. Its nutrition programs include vitamin A, iron/folate, and multi-micronutrient supplementation, fortification of commonly used foods, dietary diversification, community- and school gardening, as well as school health activities, the promotion of breastfeeding and complementary feeding, and nutritional surveillance to provide critical data to governments and other development ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
