When we get sick in New Zealand we can always go off to the doctor if things get nasty. Very few villages in the Congo have doctors (unless you count the witch doctor of course!). For many people this means travelling over 100km by either walking, or on a bicycle, in order to get to a clinic. If you are very sick it will often mean that someone will need to carry you.
There are some very nasty conditions here that people suffer from. I will list them below and perhaps you can find out more about them?
Typhoid
This is a very nasty disease and there are many patients in hospital here because of it. If Typhoid is not treated early on it can be very hard to cure. It often ends up making holes in your stomach intestines, which means that things you eat and drink leak out and cause infection. If this happens your stomach looks very big because it is full of liquid that cannot get out.
There are some very nasty conditions here that people suffer from. I will list them below and perhaps you can find out more about them?
Typhoid
This is a very nasty disease and there are many patients in hospital here because of it. If Typhoid is not treated early on it can be very hard to cure. It often ends up making holes in your stomach intestines, which means that things you eat and drink leak out and cause infection. If this happens your stomach looks very big because it is full of liquid that cannot get out.
A child with advanced Typhoid
Malaria
This disease is also very nasty and is carried by mosquitos. When the mosquito bites you the disease gets into your bloodstream and gives you all sorts of problems, including very high temperatures. Many people die of malaria. The best way to protect yourself from malaria is to sleep underneath a mosquito net so that the mosquitos can’t bite you when you are sleeping. Fortunately the mosquitos we have in New Zealand do not carry the Malaria disease!
This disease is also very nasty and is carried by mosquitos. When the mosquito bites you the disease gets into your bloodstream and gives you all sorts of problems, including very high temperatures. Many people die of malaria. The best way to protect yourself from malaria is to sleep underneath a mosquito net so that the mosquitos can’t bite you when you are sleeping. Fortunately the mosquitos we have in New Zealand do not carry the Malaria disease!
A child being treated for Malaria
Malnutrition
This is not a disease but a lack of good food. Some people are not able to get enough good food to eat so they slowly get thinner and thinner until eventually they do not have enough energy to walk or even to get up off the ground. If they can get someone to bring them to a clinic they can be saved by putting food directly into them through a drip feed system that plugs into their veins. If they are able, they can also be fed small amounts of special food until they can eat properly again.
This is not a disease but a lack of good food. Some people are not able to get enough good food to eat so they slowly get thinner and thinner until eventually they do not have enough energy to walk or even to get up off the ground. If they can get someone to bring them to a clinic they can be saved by putting food directly into them through a drip feed system that plugs into their veins. If they are able, they can also be fed small amounts of special food until they can eat properly again.
A child being helped to recover from Malnutrition
Meningitis (Bacterial)
There are different types of this disease but the main one here in the Congo is caused by tiny bacteria. The type of Meningitis here is different to the one we sometimes see in New Zealand. No one here gets jabs when they are young to prevent them getting diseases like this so they are very common. If Meningitis is not treated quickly it can cause serious problems. Many children who get this disease either die, loose their sight or hearing, or have serious brain damage.
TB (Tuberculosis)
This disease used to be in New Zealand up until about 50 years ago but is now very rare in people there. The disease is present in many people in developing countries like the DR Congo, and is passed on by people who become active carriers through sneezing, coughing or spit. TB can be treated as long as people get help for it, but it can take many months to get back to full health again once you get it. This is a big problem here because it means that you cannot work and grow food for your family while you have the disease.
There are different types of this disease but the main one here in the Congo is caused by tiny bacteria. The type of Meningitis here is different to the one we sometimes see in New Zealand. No one here gets jabs when they are young to prevent them getting diseases like this so they are very common. If Meningitis is not treated quickly it can cause serious problems. Many children who get this disease either die, loose their sight or hearing, or have serious brain damage.
TB (Tuberculosis)
This disease used to be in New Zealand up until about 50 years ago but is now very rare in people there. The disease is present in many people in developing countries like the DR Congo, and is passed on by people who become active carriers through sneezing, coughing or spit. TB can be treated as long as people get help for it, but it can take many months to get back to full health again once you get it. This is a big problem here because it means that you cannot work and grow food for your family while you have the disease.
RSS Feed