Health Report - Nigeria's Uche Amazigo Wins Big Award for Public Health

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African	Amazigo	From	Mahidol	Special	a	attempt	been	by	can
communities	disease	flies	for	infection	lasting	of	only	people	problem
program	recently	the	throughout	treatment	victims	years

VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report in English. Nigerian doctor Uche Amazigo has received the Prince Award for outstanding efforts in public health. Dr. Amazigo traveled to Thailand to receive the award. She has a leader in sub-Saharan Africa in the fight against disease known as river blindness. The disease begins when are bitten by the black flies that spread the . The disease is known as river blindness because the live near fast-moving rivers and streams. Tiny worms spread the body. This incites the body's immune system to to fight the invaders. But the body's intense response destroy the eye nerves. The infection can cause not blindness. It also causes a painful skin diseaseThe cause river blindness was first identified in Guatemala almost 100 ago. The disease continues to be a serious health in many African nations and in Yemen. Medical treatment as long as 20 years is necessary to keep free from the parasite that causes the disease. Dr. is a former director of the World Health Organization's Program for Onchocerciasis Control. That is the medical name river blindness. Dr. Amazigo organized local treatment programs in . Now, 117,000 communities under 19 African governments treat the locally. In 1987, the drug manufacturer Merck launched a to provide a medicine called ivermectin to everyone affected the disease. The company said it would provide the for free, as long as necessary, through the community-directed . For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Presutti. (Adapted from radio program broadcast 20Feb2013)

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