Parasitic worms hold back human progress. Here's how we can end them | Ellen Agler

Translator: Nelson Simfukwe Reviewer: Joachim Mangilima

These are worms.

Hawa ni minyoo.

Not the kind of worms you find crawling in the dirt.

Si minyoo ambayo utaiona ikitambaa kwenye uchafu

These are parasitic roundworms.

Hivi ni vimelea vya minyookuru.

They live inside a human being's intestines.

Wanaishi ndani utumbo wa mwanadamu.

Each of these worms can grow up to 12 inches long,

Kila mmoja wa minyoo hii huweza kukua hadi urefu wa inchi 12,

and there are 200 of them in this jar for a reason,

na wapo 200 katika kopo hili kwa sababu fulani,

because that is the number you might typically find

kwa sababu hiyo ni idadi ambayo kwa kawaida utawakuta

in the belly of a single infected child.

ndani ya tumbo la mtoto anayeugua.

Worm infections have been around for thousands of years.

Maambukizi ya minyoo yamekuwapo kwa takribani ya maelfu ya miaka.

They have influenced the outcomes of wars,

Yamechangia katika matokeo ya baada ya vita,

and they have long stymied human health.

na kukinzana na afya ya mwanadamu kwa muda sana.

Roundworm, hookworm,

minyookuru, safura,

whipworm, schistosomiasis:

minyoo-mjeledi, kichocho:

infections from these species cause pain and discomfort.

maambukizi kutoka katika vijidudu hivi husababisha maumivu na kukosa raha.

They steal nutrients and zap energy.

Huiba virutubisho na kunyong'onyeza mwili.

They stunt both physical and cognitive growth.

Hudumaza ukuaji wa kimwili na kiakili.

In most cases, these worms may not be fatal,

Katika matukio mbalimbali, minyoo hawa huwa si wenye madhara makubwa,

but paradoxically, that's part of the problem.

lakini cha kushangaza, hiyo ndiyo sababu mojawapo ya tatizo.

It means that many countries

Inamaanisha kwamba nchi nyingi

simply have not been able to prioritize their treatment.

hazihitajika kuweza kutoa kipaumbele cha matibabu yake.

There's a social cost to that:

Na kuna madhara kwa jamii kutokana na hilo:

children without access to deworming treatments

watoto ambao hawapati huduma za dawa za kuua minyoo

have lower rates of school attendance.

wana mahudhurio ya chini shuleni.

Adults who grow up without deworming medicine

Watu wazima ambao hukua bila kutumia dawa za kuua minyoo

are less productive and have lower lifelong earnings.

hawawezi fanya kazi kwa juhudi na huwa na kipato duni.

What intestinal worms do, really,

Kitu ambacho minyoo hufanya, kihalisia,

is limit potential.

ni kuweka kikwazo cha uwezo wa uchapakazi.

Currently, there are 1.7 billion people in the world still at risk for worms.

Hadi sasa, kuna watu bilioni 1.7 duniani walio katika hatari ya minyoo hii.

Six hundred million of them are in Africa.

Milioni mia sita kati yao wanaishi Afrika.

For every dollar invested in worm control and prevention,

Kwa kila dola inayowekezwa katika kupambana na kuondokana na minyoo,

African countries see up to 42 dollars return in economic benefits.

Afrika inapata hadi dola 42 katika faidiko la kiuchumi.

The good news is that deworming treatment is extremely easy.

Habari njema ni kwamba matibabu ya kuua minyoo ni rahisi mno.

One to three pills given once or twice a year

Kuanzia kidonge kimoja hadi vitatu vikitolewa mara moja au mbili kwa mwaka

is enough to take a child from 200 worms to zero

hutosha kabisa kumfanya mtoto kutoka kuwa na minyoo 200 hadi kutokuwa na mnyoo hata mmoja

and to protect them from infection going forward.

na kuwalinda na maambukizi yajayo.

In communities where there's a high prevalence of worms,

Katika jamii ambazo kuna uwepo mkubwa wa minyoo,

treatment can be done right at school.

matibabu yanaweza fanyika shuleni.

This process is extremely simple and fast.

Mchakato huu ni rahisi na wa haraka.

In Ethiopia, for example, this is done for 20 million children

Nchini Ethiopia, kwa mfano, hii inafanyika kwa watoto milioni 20

in a matter of weeks.

ndani ya wiki chache tu.

The world has come a long way

Dunia imetoka mbali

on getting deworming medicines to the people who need them,

katika kuwapatia dawa za minyoo watu wanaozihitaji,

and African governments want to gain more traction.

na serikali za nchi za Afrika zinataka kupata msukumo.

It's now time to match their ambition.

Ni wakati sasa wa kuendana na malengo yao.

The END Fund will work with governments

Mradi wa END utashirikiana na serikali

to create a plan that drastically reduces the burden of disease caused by worms.

kuandaa mpango madhubuti wa kupunguza mzigo wa magonjwa yanayosababishwa na minyoo.

They’ll work together to ensure prevention and treatment programs

Watafanya kazi pamoja kuhakikisha programu za kinga na tiba

can serve everyone.

zinaweza kumpa huduma kila mtu.

The END Fund has an audacious idea:

Mradi wa END una wazo lenye uthubutu:

they believe we are the generation to end sickness from worm infections forever.

wanaamini kwamba sisi ni kizazi ambacho kitakomesha magonjwa yatokanayo na minyoo milele.

The key is not simply to build new programs from scratch,

Mpango si tu kuunda programu mpya kuanzia mwanzo,

but to amplify the efforts of the programs that are already taking shape.

lakini kuzipa muamko zaidi juhudi za programu ambazo tayari zinaleta mabadiliko.

By examining the problem of how worms transmit disease,

Kwa kutathmini tatizo la namna gani minyoo husambaza magonjwa,

the END Fund has identified five key areas where they can drive improvement.

mradi wa END umegundua sehemu tano muhimu ambazo wanaweza fanyia maboresho.

Number one: lower the cost of treatment.

Namba moja: matibabu yaliyo nafuu.

Many pharmaceutical companies offer deworming medicines for free,

Makampuni mengi ya kutengeneza madawa hutoa dawa za minyoo bure,

so the END Fund works with the right partners

hivyo mradi wa END unafanya kazi na washirika sahihi

to coordinate their delivery.

kusimamia utoaji wa dawa.

They will continue to secure drug donations

Wataendelea kusimamia utoaji wa dawa

for additional at-risk populations.

katika jamii ambazo zipo katika hatari.

They can now do it for less than 25 cents per child per year.

Sasa wanaweza kufanya kwa chini ya zaidi ya senti 25 kwa mtoto katika mwaka mmoja.

Number two: focus on prevention.

Namba mbili: kutazamia katika kinga.

The END Fund calls in the right partners to educate communities

Mradi wa END unahamasisha washirika sahihi ili kuelimisha jamii

on sanitation and hygiene

katika usafi wa mazingira na usafi binafsi

in order to change behaviors around things like hand-washing

ili kuweza kubadili mienendo kama kuosha mikono

and latrine use,

na matumizi ya msalani,

ensuring people are not continually reinfected.

kuhakikisha kwamba watu hawapati tena maambukizi.

Number three: invest in innovation.

Namba tatu: kuwekeza katika ubunifu.

The END Fund has contributed to deworming

Mradi wa END umechangia katika kutokomeza minyoo

by introducing innovative techniques that effectively target and treat people.

kwa kuleta namna za kibunifu ambazo zinawalenga watu na kuwatibu.

They will test new delivery methods,

Watajaribu namna mpya za utoaji huduma,

target the environments where parasites thrive

kulenga mazingira ambayo vimelea huweza kuishi

and influence behavior change.

na kushawishi mabadiliko ya mienendo.

Number four: monitor and evaluate.

Namba nne: kusimamia na kufanya tathmini.

The END Fund collects detailed data on all programs on a regular basis

Mradi wa END hukusanya taarifa za programu zote mara kwa mara

to help them get better and better over time.

ili kuweza kuboresha programu zaidi na zaidi kadiri muda unavyokwenda.

Number five: increase local ownership.

Namba tano: kuongeza umilikishaji katika jamii.

At all stages of the process,

Katika hatua zote za mchakato,

the END Fund works with government and local stakeholders

mradi wa END unafanya kazi na serikali na wadau katika jamii

to encourage cofinancing commitments that support deworming efforts.

ili kuweza kuchangia michango ya kifedha kwa pamoja ili kuunga mkono juhudi za kuondokana na minyoo.

They also worked with African philanthropists

Wamefanya kazi wa wahisani kutoka Afrika

and corporate leaders to partner on these efforts.

na viongozi wa makampuni katika juhudi hizi.

There's an incredible opportunity to work together to create a new system

Kuna fursa kubwa sana ya kufanya kazi pamoja kutengeneza namna mpya

for disease elimination for the next decade and beyond.

ya kuondoa ugonjwa kwa muongo unaofata na zaidi.

Part of the money the END Fund needs

Kiasi cha fedha ambacho mradi wa END unahitaji

will go directly toward delivering deworming treatments

kitakwenda moja kwa moja katika utoaji wa matibabu ya minyoo

to communities that need it

kwa jamii ambazo zina uhitaji

and part will go towards facilitating the handover of programs

na kiasi kingine kitaenda katika uwezeshaji wa miradi

to local ownership.

kwa umilikishaji wa jamii.

Together, these efforts will create prevention and treatment programs

Kwa pamoja, hizi juhudi zitatengeneza programu za kukinga na kutibu

that are sustainable far into the future.

ambazo zitakuwa madhubuti hadi miaka ijayo.

If this plan gets fully funded for the next six years,

Kama mradi huu utawezeshwa kifedha kwa miaka sita ijayo,

tens of millions of people will receive deworming treatment.

makumi ya mamilioni ya watu wataweza pata matibabu ya minyoo.

With that, countries will be interrupting the cycle of disease transmission

Kwa hilo, nchi zitaweza kuuondoa mzunguko wa maambukizi ya ugonjwa

at all levels,

katika ngazi zote,

and most importantly, people will experience significant improvements

na lililo muhimu zaidi, watu wataweza kuimarika zaidi

in their mental, physical and social health.

katika afya ya kiakili, kimwili na mahusiano ya kijamii.

Just imagine the potential that will be gained

Hebu fikiria uwezo utakao kuwepo

when people can stop worrying about these

pale watu wanapokoma kupata wasiwasi wa jambo hili

and can put their energy into things like these.

na kuweka nguvu zao katika mambo kama haya.

(Students' overlapping voices)

(Wanafunzi wakipaza sauti)

(Clapping and singing)

(Wakipiga makofi na kuimba)

(Cheering)

(Wakishangilia)