Guinea Worm - Bottom Up Strategy

What is a bottom-up strategy in disease eradication?

A grassroots approach empowering local communities to lead interventions.

Why do top-down strategies often face resistance?

They may exclude local groups, especially women, and lack community involvement.

What is Guinea Worm disease also called?

Dracunculiasis.

What causes Guinea Worm disease?

A parasitic worm transmitted by infected water fleas.

How is Guinea Worm transmitted?

Through drinking contaminated stagnant water.

Where is Guinea Worm most commonly found?

Remote rural areas relying on open water sources.

Is Guinea Worm fatal?

No, but it is crippling when the worm emerges through painful blisters.

Which country implemented a grassroots Guinea Worm eradication program?

Ghana.

What organisation partnered in Ghana's program?

Ghana Red Cross women’s clubs.

What was the role of women in the Guinea Worm campaign?

Volunteers teaching transmission prevention, monitoring, and distributing filters.

Why did earlier male-led Guinea Worm campaigns fail?

Men often worked outside villages and were less involved in water sourcing.

Why were women more effective in the Guinea Worm campaign?

They manage household water and valued prevention methods like filtration.

What tasks did women volunteers perform?

Reported cases, prevented contamination, distributed filters, and identified risky water sources.

How many cases of Guinea Worm were there in Ghana in 1989?

More than 179,000 cases.

When did Ghana report its last indigenous Guinea Worm case?

2010.

Why is Guinea Worm considered eradicable?

It has a visible diagnosis, non-airborne transmission, and limited seasonal spread.

How is Guinea Worm diagnosis confirmed?

Through visual recognition of the emerging worm.

Why does stagnant water matter for Guinea Worm transmission?

It hosts the infected water fleas, the intermediate host.

What kind of transmission does Guinea Worm have?

Seasonal and geographically limited.