Most people know this condition by its popular names pink eye and Apollo, but did you know there are many things that cause it? Name Conjunctivitis also known as apollo, pink eye, and Madras eye Transmission A common condition of the eye that has several forms depending on the cause: Bacterial: very contagious, caused by…
#IDFridays Week 36: Conjunctivitis
#IDFridays Week 35: Polio
The world has almost eliminated polio which has no cure and can permanently cripple or kill you Name Polio (full name: poliomyelitis) Transmission A highly infectious disease caused by a virus (poliovirus) The virus invades the brain and spinal cord and can cause total paralysis in hours The poliovirus lives in the throat and intestines…
Celebrating Global Handwashing Day 2016
Today, October 15th is Global Handwashing Day! To celebrate, we partnered with Ikeja Electric and Kleanmate to visit 6 schools and had more than 1,100 students all over Lagos state washing their hands at the same time. As usual, our goal was to use our #ItStartsWithMe campaign to educate students on the importance of handwashing…
#IDFridays Week 34: Konzo
Did you know eating too much raw cassava can paralyze you and affect your memory? Name Konzo (means “bound legs” in the Yaka language) aka mantakassa Transmission Though it is not an infectious disease, konzo is a neglected disease and has been known to cause outbreaks and epidemics Konzo is a severe crippling disease caused…
#IDFridays Week 33: Cryptosporidiosis
Known as crypto, this is a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites Name Cryptosporidiosis aka crypto Transmission A contagious diarrheal disease caused by parasites called Cryptosporidium The parasites live in water, food, soil, and on skin and contaminated surfaces Once they enter a human or animal, they live in the digestive system A single bowel…