title: The effectiveness of combined control measures on the prevalence of guinea worm disease in Anambra State, Nigeria.
abstract: The prevalence of guinea worm Dracunculus medinensis was determined in communities in Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria during the 1984-1985 guinea worm season. Thereafter combined intervention measures which included health education and community participation in pond treatment were introduced in one of the two communities. There was a decrease in disease prevalence from 88.7% to 33% in Group A (372 households) and from 88% to 53% in Group B (368 households), two years after control measures were introduced in Igbeagu community. However, in 345 households in Mpu community without control measures, any decrease was not significant (from 88.7% to 86.5%). Health Education combined with pond disinfection proved to be a much better intervention measure, contributing to the change in attitude and therefore decrease in disease prevalence, than pond disinfection alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Nwaorgu
mesh_terms: D004320:Dracunculiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water