Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
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FIGURE 15.1
Decrease in the prevalence of A. lumbricoides in school children between
1969 and 1995 in the Republic of Korea.
2
technique) was invented and was widely adopted for stool examinations.
By 1990, the prevalence of A. lumbricoides had dropped to 0.9%,
that of hookworms to 0.0%, and that of T. trichiura to 0.25%.
1
A similar experience took place in Korea between 1969 and 1995.
2
In
this case, too, the program focused on selective treatment of infected
school children and the significant results obtained are presented in
Figure 15.1
.
The relevance of economic development (linked to the improvement of
sanitation standards) to permanently solve the public health problem
caused by STH is confirmed by the fact that in other countries significant
prevalence reductions have been obtained without any specific disease
control activity: for example, in Italy between 1965 and 1980 the preva-
lence of trichiuriasis dropped from 65% to less than 5% and the preva-
lence of ascariasis from 10% to 0%.
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When STH control measures are applied in a situation of economic
development the results, in terms of decline in prevalence and health
improvement, are rapid and definitive. In addition, the control of the
morbidity due to STH can in itself contribute to the economic develop-
ment of the country by boosting the capacity of school children to grow
and learn better, and by increasing the physical fitness of adults and the
health of adolescent girls and women of child-bearing age.
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THE “R
EALITY” IN DEVELOPING COU
NTRIES
Unfortunately, this situation of rapid and general economic develop-
ment does not apply to many tropical countries where even if progresses
are observed, these are rarely equitable and most frequently apply to
urban centers and not rural areas.
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