Looking at 7-year-old Imoru Alhassan's face today may give you the impression that he is weeping. The tears flowing from his eyes, however, are not due to any strong feelings of emotion, but due to a disease called trachoma. The tears are caused by fluid flowing from his eyes as a result of a condition that could make him blind and which could easily be spread to other members of his family. Thus, trachoma is known as a "family disease".
Washing his face daily with clean water could save Imoru from his weeping misery and possible blindness and the availability of clean water could completely eradicate the disease. But Imoru's village, located 6 kilometers from the district capital, is without any clean source of water.
Imoru hails from Laligu, which is listed among the endemic trachoma communities in the Savelugu Nanton district. The community is ranked 5th in descending order of trachoma prevalence in the district, out of about 40 listed communities. With a population of about 853 people, 27.7 percent of the population is infected with trachoma follicles according to the Ghana Trachoma Control Program. Nobody is spared from the disease; everyone in Laligu is at risk. However, children are most affected by trachoma.
To Imoru and members of his family, the provision of potable water is crucial to their survival. Their only source of water is polluted and not suitable for human consumption. They get their drinking water from a dam called Lorni, which is located about 2 kilometers from the community, and shared with 9 other communities.
Thankfully, Imoru has been cured of the disease. '"Now my eyes are better due to the medicine that World Vision provided for my use, but I am afraid I will get the disease again in the future if I don’t get clean water to wash my face every day." He added that he felt very uncomfortable when he had so much fluid flowing from his eyes due to trachoma but he could not get clean water to wash his eyes. Imoru is also afraid that the disease could spread and affect other members of his house, who number about 17 people.
Zakaria Alhassan, Imom's father, also reveals that "We just need a good source of water in this community to clear this disease and others from here." He was also quick to emphasise that his whole family was at risk of getting the disease since one member had already contracted it. He said he could not possibly afford the hospital bills for them if they contracted the disease. Mr. Alhassan however disclosed that he could easily provide clean water for them to wash their faces if potable water was made available in his community.
The people of Laligu have been made aware through education that one way of preventing trachoma is through keeping a clean environment and washing one's face with clean water every day. This is why the provision and availability of clean water in Laligu is so fundamental to Imoru and his parents as well as other members of their community.
Washing his face daily with clean water could save Imoru from his weeping misery and possible blindness and the availability of clean water could completely eradicate the disease. But Imoru's village, located 6 kilometers from the district capital, is without any clean source of water.
Imoru hails from Laligu, which is listed among the endemic trachoma communities in the Savelugu Nanton district. The community is ranked 5th in descending order of trachoma prevalence in the district, out of about 40 listed communities. With a population of about 853 people, 27.7 percent of the population is infected with trachoma follicles according to the Ghana Trachoma Control Program. Nobody is spared from the disease; everyone in Laligu is at risk. However, children are most affected by trachoma.
To Imoru and members of his family, the provision of potable water is crucial to their survival. Their only source of water is polluted and not suitable for human consumption. They get their drinking water from a dam called Lorni, which is located about 2 kilometers from the community, and shared with 9 other communities.
Thankfully, Imoru has been cured of the disease. '"Now my eyes are better due to the medicine that World Vision provided for my use, but I am afraid I will get the disease again in the future if I don’t get clean water to wash my face every day." He added that he felt very uncomfortable when he had so much fluid flowing from his eyes due to trachoma but he could not get clean water to wash his eyes. Imoru is also afraid that the disease could spread and affect other members of his house, who number about 17 people.
Zakaria Alhassan, Imom's father, also reveals that "We just need a good source of water in this community to clear this disease and others from here." He was also quick to emphasise that his whole family was at risk of getting the disease since one member had already contracted it. He said he could not possibly afford the hospital bills for them if they contracted the disease. Mr. Alhassan however disclosed that he could easily provide clean water for them to wash their faces if potable water was made available in his community.
The people of Laligu have been made aware through education that one way of preventing trachoma is through keeping a clean environment and washing one's face with clean water every day. This is why the provision and availability of clean water in Laligu is so fundamental to Imoru and his parents as well as other members of their community.
No comments:
Post a Comment