Day 16

A worming treatment for a schoolchild in Ecuador

Fighting worm infestations – saving people Fighting worm infestations – saving people Fighting worm infestations – saving people Fighting worm infestations – saving people

A worming treatment for a schoolchild in Ecuador
Day 16
Medical care for schoolchildren in the Andes

Worm infections are rare in countries like Germany, but children are still the ones most affected. A good health system allows for rapid treatment and removal of the worms. But worm infections in children are not uncommon, especially in tropical countries, where medical care is not as good as in Germany. This is also the case in the Andes of Ecuador. In the mountains, people usually live very scattered in small villages and the journey to the nearest clinic is often very long. As a result, children often do not receive medical treatment. Worm infections lead to severe malnutrition, which has a negative impact on the development and education of children. The aim of this good deed is to free children from the worms that live in their intestines and to limit their spread.

Medical care for schoolchildren in the Andes
need
Medical treatments for children in the Andes of Ecuador.
activity
Medical care and medications for treating worm infections in children.
Measurable performance
Number of treatments of children suffering from worm infections.
Result
Improving the health of children and the resulting malnutrition.
Systemically relevant impact
reducing the infection rate and incidence of worm diseases in the Andes of Ecuador.
background

It is estimated that more than 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from intestinal worms (WHO, 2019). These are transmitted through human excrement. The risk of infection is particularly high in tropical areas such as Ecuador and in regions without well-functioning sanitation facilities. A study of rural regions in Ecuador showed that around 30 percent of all children were infected with intestinal worms (Cartelle Gastal, 2015). As a result of the worm disease, around half of the children suffered from malnutrition. Anemia, iron deficiency and growth disorders are further consequences. Worm diseases therefore have an extreme impact on the development of children, especially in tropical countries. In addition to drug therapy, better prevention through better sanitation is required to combat the disease. Since many people in the Andes live far away from medical facilities, going to the doctor is often very expensive.

Riobamab and surrounding villages, Ecuador
Day 16 Day 16
The good deed

With your donation you support a mobile clinic that provides free basic medical care in the mountain villages of the Andes. The main focus is on the care of children, elderly and poor patients. These groups in particular have difficulty accessing state health care in Ecuador, as most medical facilities are located in the cities. Every calendar donation today finances a worm treatment for a child in Ecuador. The goal: to reduce the infection rate in the remote villages. In this way, fewer people will suffer from worm diseases in the long term and the nutritional and educational situation of the children will improve sustainably.

AboutEcuador
Quito
Quito
Capital city
16,600,000
16,600,000
Population
10.347
10.347
Gross domestic product per capita per year
Rank 86 of 189
Rank 86 of 189
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Ecuador is home to a variety of different ecosystems in just one country. From the Amazon region, through the Andean highlands to the Pacific coast with the Galapagos Islands offshore.