One million anti-parasite pills distributed in one day
The first 1,000 people in line at each location received Albendazole, anti-parasite medication, and attended a preventative education class.
Operation Blessing International partnered with the World Health Organization to teach recipients the basics of parasite prevention through an illustrated flip chart and Spanish-speaking instructor.
Of the first one million, 98% of recipients were women and children.
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BELEN, Peru - On June 10, 2006, the "sPill the news" anti-parasite campaign in Peru launched – quite literally – as a team of 11 Operation Blessing staff and volunteers loaded into a wooden canoe with 1,000 Albendazole (anti-parasite) pills.
Pushing off from shore, they made their way down a murky tributary of the Amazon River toward the remote village of Belen.
"As we gave out our medicine, 1,000 other local churches each with 1,000 pills began their distribution that same day," explained Jordan Durso, Operation Blessing's director in Peru. "One million people, in one day, received one million parasite treatment pills."
Because of extreme poverty, poor sanitary conditions and lack of preventative education, intestinal parasites can be one of the primary causes of death worldwide, said Durso. Parasites not only cause physical pain and bleeding, but they also consume 25 percent of a person’s food intake, causing malnutrition and other severe, chronic health problems.
"Doctors and nurses served the first 1,000 people in line at each of the locations," explained Durso. "Then we used an educational flip chart on good hygiene to teach recipients about parasite prevention and good nutrition."
In all, over 20,000 volunteers were mobilized to carry out the June launch. Of the recipients in the distribution, 98 percent were women and children.
In addition to Operation Blessing's partnership with local governments and churches, they are also working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch a long-range initiative and distribute two million Albendazole pills every six months for the next three years.
"Our vision is to continue to do national initiatives in Peru to make a real, lasting medical impact in the areas where they are most desperately needed," said Rich Danzeisen, Operation Blessing director of international programs.
The next campaign is scheduled for the fall with plans to administer two million pills at 2,000 locations in Peru in one day.
How You Can Help Take part in bringing life-changing medical treatment to those in need! Whether it is by purchasing anti-parasite medications, cleft lip and palate surgeries for children battling birth
deformities or free medical clinics for hundreds who cannot afford the cost of medical care, your
financial gift is helping to bring relief to the hurting. |
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