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

譯者: James Cheng 審譯者: Joey Chung

These are worms.

這些是蟲子。

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

但不是你平常在土裡看到的那些。

These are parasitic roundworms.

這些是寄生蛔蟲。

They live inside a human being's intestines.

它們寄生在人體腸道。

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

這些寄生蟲最多可以長到 12 英吋，

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

這裡面有兩百隻蛔蟲 放在罐子內的原因，

because that is the number you might typically find

是因為這個數量大概是

in the belly of a single infected child.

你在受感染的小孩腸胃裡發現的數量。

Worm infections have been around for thousands of years.

寄生蟲感染已經有好幾千年歷史。

They have influenced the outcomes of wars,

它們影響了戰爭的結果，

and they have long stymied human health.

而且對人類健康有長遠的影響。

Roundworm, hookworm,

線蟲、鉤蟲

whipworm, schistosomiasis:

鞭蟲，血吸蟲：

infections from these species cause pain and discomfort.

被感染後會造成身體疼痛及不適。

They steal nutrients and zap energy.

它們會偷人體的養分及消耗精力。

They stunt both physical and cognitive growth.

它會造成身體及認知的成長障礙。

In most cases, these worms may not be fatal,

大多數來說，這些寄生蟲病不會致命，

but paradoxically, that's part of the problem.

但矛盾的是，這反映了另一個問題。

It means that many countries

代表有許多國家

simply have not been able to prioritize their treatment.

根本沒有能力優先治療 寄生蟲感染的疾病。

There's a social cost to that:

這反映了一個重要的社會成本：

children without access to deworming treatments

孩童沒有接受到驅蟲治療，

have lower rates of school attendance.

會降低上課出勤率。

Adults who grow up without deworming medicine

成人在成長時沒有接受驅蟲藥治療

are less productive and have lower lifelong earnings.

會減低生產量及影響終生收入。

What intestinal worms do, really,

寄生蟲到底會做什麼？

is limit potential.

主要是令潛力發展受阻。

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

目前仍有十七億的人

受到寄生蟲的威脅，

Six hundred million of them are in Africa.

有六百萬人在非洲。

For every dollar invested in worm control and prevention,

投資在寄生蟲控制 及預防上的每一美元，

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

非洲國家都可相應獲得 42 美元的經濟回報。

The good news is that deworming treatment is extremely easy.

好消息是其實除蟲非常的容易。

One to three pills given once or twice a year

一到三種藥丸， 每年給予一次或兩次，

is enough to take a child from 200 worms to zero

就可以把孩童身體內的寄生蟲降為零，

and to protect them from infection going forward.

而且還可以保護他們不被繼續感染。

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

在高度容易感染的社區裡，

treatment can be done right at school.

治療可以在學校完成。

This process is extremely simple and fast.

過程非常的簡單且迅速，

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

以衣索比亞為例，已有二千萬兒童

in a matter of weeks.

在幾周內接受治療。

The world has come a long way

世界已經越來越進步

on getting deworming medicines to the people who need them,

在給予需要驅蟲藥幫助的人，

and African governments want to gain more traction.

同時，非洲政府也想積極參與。

It's now time to match their ambition.

現在是時候一起達成目標。

The END Fund will work with governments

人道組織 END Fund 會與政府一起合作，

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

設計相關計畫，

努力降低因寄生蟲疾病產生的負擔。

They’ll work together to ensure prevention and treatment programs

他們會一起合作並保證 防疫及治療的方案

都能有效的實施在所有人身上。

can serve everyone.

The END Fund has an audacious idea:

END Fund 有很大膽的想法：

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

他們相信在這一世代 可以永遠終結寄生蟲帶來的疾病。

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

關鍵不只是要從頭開始規劃，

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

更要強化已經有的成果計畫。

By examining the problem of how worms transmit disease,

從檢視寄生蟲散播的問題，

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

END Fund 掌握了 五個主要關鍵方式去持續改善。

Number one: lower the cost of treatment.

第一點：降低治療的費用。

Many pharmaceutical companies offer deworming medicines for free,

很多製藥公司提供免費驅蟲藥，

so the END Fund works with the right partners

所以 END Fund 會與合適的伙伴合作，

to coordinate their delivery.

去協調及運送這些藥品。

They will continue to secure drug donations

他們會持續保證藥品供給量的穩定性

for additional at-risk populations.

給有特定風險的群體。

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

現在每年只要少於 25 美分的費用， 就可以治療一位孩童。

Number two: focus on prevention.

第二點：著重預防。

The END Fund calls in the right partners to educate communities

END Fund 與合作夥伴共同宣導

on sanitation and hygiene

公共及個人衛生，

in order to change behaviors around things like hand-washing

以改變生活習慣，比如洗手

and latrine use,

及上廁所的方式，

ensuring people are not continually reinfected.

確保人們不會再次被感染。

Number three: invest in innovation.

第三點：創新投資。

The END Fund has contributed to deworming

END Fund 在驅蟲方法方面

by introducing innovative techniques that effectively target and treat people.

透過引進有效的創新技術 有效地醫治特定群體。

They will test new delivery methods,

他們會測試新方法，

target the environments where parasites thrive

針對在寄生蟲肆虐的地方

and influence behavior change.

並改變生活習慣。

Number four: monitor and evaluate.

第四點：監控與評估。

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

END Fund 會定期蒐集 所有計畫裡的詳細數據

to help them get better and better over time.

以幫助他們隨著時間進步。

Number five: increase local ownership.

第五點：增加當地人的參與度。

At all stages of the process,

在所有階段，

the END Fund works with government and local stakeholders

End Fund 會與政府 及當地持份者合作，

to encourage cofinancing commitments that support deworming efforts.

鼓勵共同出資來保證為驅蟲做貢獻。

They also worked with African philanthropists

他們同時也會與非洲慈善家

and corporate leaders to partner on these efforts.

和企業領袖共同合作參與項目。

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

這是一個共創新系統的難得機會，

for disease elimination for the next decade and beyond.

在接下來的十年及未來 一同合作消除疾病。

Part of the money the END Fund needs

部分 End Fund 需要的資金

will go directly toward delivering deworming treatments

會用於運送驅蟲藥物

到需要的社區，

to communities that need it

and part will go towards facilitating the handover of programs

而另一部分則會用於推動計劃

to local ownership.

與當地機構共同合作。

Together, these efforts will create prevention and treatment programs

共同合作去創造預防和治療方案

that are sustainable far into the future.

並持續推動下去。

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

如果這份計畫可以募得 足以應付未來六年需要的資金，

tens of millions of people will receive deworming treatment.

數千萬人將會接受驅蟲藥的治療。

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

這些國家將可以在各層面上 終止疾病散播的惡性循環。

at all levels,

and most importantly, people will experience significant improvements

更重要的是，

人們將會在心理、生理 及社區健康上得到顯著改善。

in their mental, physical and social health.

Just imagine the potential that will be gained

想像一下這些潛在的成果，

when people can stop worrying about these

當人們不用再擔心這些疾病，

and can put their energy into things like these.

並可以把所有的精力 都放在這些事情上。

(Students' overlapping voices)

（學生們搶答問題的聲音）

( 掌聲及唱歌）

(Clapping and singing)

(Cheering)

（歡呼）