Two million Peruvians treated for parasites

By: John Patrick

PERU - In the ongoing battle against parasites, Operation Blessing completed its largest-ever anti-parasite campaign in Peru in November, distributing two million pills in a single day to two million residents.

The effort marked the second distribution of 2006 for Peru and came on the heels of a record-breaking June 10 distribution, during which Operation Blessing's "sPill the news" campaign distributed one million pills in a single day.

"Our vision is to continue to do national initiatives in Peru to make a real, lasting medical impact in the areas where they are most desperately needed," said Rich Danzeisen, director of international programs for Operation Blessing.

Intestinal parasites can cause physical pain, bleeding, affect cognitive ability and consume 25 percent of a person’s food intake, causing malnutrition and other severe, chronic health problems. They can also lead to death if untreated, said Jordan Durso, OBI director for Peru.

Parasites are often contracted from walking barefoot on infested soil, eating unwashed food and drinking contaminated water. Young children are particularly at a risk for infestation.

An estimated 2,000 local churches and thousands of volunteers participated in this latest campaign, and assisted by Peru’s Ministry of Health.

In addition to the medical distribution, volunteers used educational materials and illustrated flipcharts provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) to teach recipients the basics of parasite prevention and good nutrition.

OBI and the WHO are making plans to launch a long-range initiative and distribute two million Albendazole pills every six months for the next three years.