BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
THE Taiwan Health programme has made a drastic change towards reduction of parasites infection among children and youths of the Visale community school.
Taiwan Health Centre in Solomon Islands through the Parasites Prevention project has support the Visale Community High School in health education around personal hygiene.
Since its implementation in 2011—2017, it was reported parasite infection among children and youths were seen big jump from 73.85 percent of parasite cases in 2011 have reduced to 7.67 percent in 2017.
The type of parasite cases Taiwan expert deals with includes Ascaris lumbricoides, Hook worm, Strongyloides sterocoralis, Trichruris trichiura, Entameba coli and Entamoeba hartmanni—infected rates range from 100 to 300 cases.
Taiwan’s Professor June-Der Lee said the result is from the collaborative efforts from the Taiwan Health Centre and Visale Community including other projects initiated under Taiwan Government and Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.
“With years’ effort from school and authorities, the students’ parasite infectious rate is dropped significantly from 62 percent to 7.69 percent in Visale Community High School,” Dr Lee said.
“Although we achieve big reduction for parasite cases, we still want to work closely with Visale for further reduction of parasite infection rate to lower as 0.1 percent,” he adds.
To communities in Solomon Islands which the project is not reaching, it is important to follow prevention measure introduces by the Taiwan Health experts.
They said parasite infection is harmful and severity to children but it can be prevented through applying the preventive measures below;
- Avoid touching soil that might be contaminated with human feces
- Wash hands with water and soap before eating or preparing food
- Wash, cook or peel vegetable and fruits before eating
- Take good care of your personal hygiene and food handling
- Wash and cook your food
- Wash hands after using toilets and before eating or preparing food
- Do not walk barefoot or touch soils in areas hookworms are common
- Human faces should not be used as fertiliser in agriculture
- Cook meat at above 60 degree Celsius until it is no longer pink inside—alternatively freeze meat at below -5 degree Celsius for a few days
- Prevent cattle/pigs from eating in areas where vegetation might be contaminated with human faeces.
