Fighting Disease: Nigeria

Targeting Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharziasis or "snail fever," is a waterborne parasitic infection that damages internal organs, with the most common symptom being blood in urine and/or feces and an enlarged liver. It most commonly affects the health of school-age children. Controlling schistosomiasis is relatively easy. A single oral dose of the drug praziquantel, when paired with health education, annually reverses up to 90 percent of the damage caused by the disease. Learn more about the Carter Center's Schistosomiasis Control Program >

In partnership with Nigerian health authorities, the Carter Center's Schistosomiasis Control Program works to control schistosomiasis in Delta, Nasarawa, and Plateau states, most recently through a pioneering program that integrates the treatment of several diseases at once. In this approach — known as triple-drug treatment — a health worker gives a community member three different medicines at one time that in combination treat river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, and several kinds of intestinal worms. Initial studies have shown that integrating treatment results in operation cost savings of about 41 percent.

Health education is a key element of the schistosomiasis effort, because the disease will not be eradicated until better water and sanitation reach these communities. For now, the message is not to urinate or defecate in water and to take praziquantel annually when offered.

In 2009, the World Health Organization and Merck KGaA (Germany) made a historic donation of 1.5 million praziqu­antel tablets to The Carter Center. The donation greatly expanded the program's reach and was awarded in recognition of the Center's dramatic growth of distribu­tion activities to accommodate WHO/ Merck's 2008 donation of 1.1 million praziquantel tablets — greater than the cumulative output of the program from 1996 to 2007. As a result of these efforts, millions of Nigerians are now benefiting from schistosomiasis treatment. Through generous contributions of many additional partners, The Carter Center has continued to deliver treatments to more than 1 million people (mostly children) annually in program areas.

As long as community life in Nigeria continues to center around local rivers and ponds, its rural citizens will likely face this quiet and heartbreaking disease. However, The Carter Center will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to see that the most Nigerians possible reap the benefits that a simple tablet and health education can provide.

Read the feature: Parasite-Fighting Medicine Brightens Nigeria's Future >

Read the Real Lives, Real Change feature: Strong Friendship Sustains Children Weakened by Disease >

Read the National Public Radio feature: Making the Case for Schistosomiasis (PDF) >

Learn more about the Carter Center's Schistosomiasis Control Program in Nigeria (in search result format) >