back to blog“I’m scared, my pee is red”
Gideon, a 10-year old boy from Amagunze, Nigeria, one day went to the toilet for a morning pee, only to discover that his urine turned blood red.
He didn’t tell his mom or teachers for a whole week...
Finally, one afternoon at school Gideon mustered his courage and went to his teacher while all the other children were outside.
“I’m scared, my pee is red”
The teacher gently took Gideon by the hand and walked him past a row of mango trees to the office of the headmaster.
Luckily for Gideon, the headmaster has been trained in diagnosing schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis - the deadliest of the Neglected Tropical Diseases
Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic infection, a disease very few know about (outside of Africa) and even fewer can spell.
Gideon got infected by playing in dirty water – a shallow stream next to his school.
Left untreated, it could seriously damage Gideon’s organs, cause anemia, stunted growth, chronic pain, make him more susceptible to Malaria, and even cause boy’s death…
Even if a child doesn’t get immediate life-threatening symptoms, it is likely to develop growth problems and have trouble learning at school.
You may recognize an image of a child with a ‘swollen belly’, which most often is caused by this disease or malnutrition.
Health organizations often call schistosomiasis “the deadliest neglected tropical disease.”
This unknown disease is affecting millions of people in Africa (including women and children), but there is good news...
Here are some staggering statistics:
- 200,000 infected people die every year (women and children at 10-19 years old being at highest risk of infection)
- Another 20 million suffer severe health consequences (that’s equal to the population of Australia!)
- In 2016 out of 200 million people who needed treatment, 110 million people never got any help.
The numbers are so big, it’s hard to wrap your head around them...
You might think - if it’s such a huge problem why isn't anyone doing anything about it?
Here is some good news:
Treating Gideon only costs $1.09 and we need your help
It’s almost hard to believe - treating one child from snail fever costs approximately one dollar ($0.71 or $1.09 depending on the charity organization).
The treatment (and prevention) is generally as easy as swallowing special pills - praziquantel. “The drug kills the parasites almost immediately” - said the principal who diagnosed Gideon’s problem. The boy’s urine could be expected to clear up within 48 hours after taking the pills.
Best $1.09 investment that could be made - helping whole communities in Africa blossom out of poverty
The $1.09 donated to charity is not just buying Gideon medicine.
Being healthy means that Gideon can stay in school and focus. His mother doesn’t need to take him to the hospital and skip work. Gideon will learn how to read.
Treating one child (or preventing an infection) causes a positive chain reaction – you can help the whole family blossom out of poverty
It’s one of the easiest ways to dramatically increase the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of people who want to escape poverty, but diseases like schistosomiasis stand in their way.
Rigorous research shows that deworming (the process of treating people from parasites) improves children's school attendance by 25% and their future earnings by 40%. That’s the best investment of $1.09 you can get.
With your help Schistosomiasis could be a disease of the past
Deworming programs prove to be highly effective; parasitic worm infections can be reduced by up to 60% after just one round of treatment.
The chart below shows the number of treatments provided, that has been growing rapidly for the last few years.
More people treated means fewer people will get infected in the future.
China has reduced the number of infected humans in the country from around 12 million to less than 100,000 in the last 60 years, which proves that eradication and control of schistosomiasis are possible.
We’re on a mission to make this disease a thing of the past, and help local communities blossom out of poverty.
Skeptical about charities? So are we - that’s why Altruisto supports SCI
By using Altruisto you support Schistosomiasis Control Initiative– one of the most trusted, effective, and ethical organizations in the world.
We’re extremely diligent when choosing a charity that Altruisto helps
SCI is one of the top charities recommended by GiveWell - an independent charity evaluator.
- Focus on a program with a strong track record and excellent cost-effectiveness.
- Track record – SCI has repeatedly demonstrated success at starting and expanding national deworming programs.
- Standout transparency – it has shared significant, detailed information about its programs with us.
You can be certain they’re not one of those charities that waste money on pointless dinner galas or “feel-good” initiatives for rich people.
SCI is extremely effective on what they do and they focus on deworming which has proven to work and is cost-effective.
Just use Altruisto whenever you shop online and children like Gideon get cured of Schistosomiasis
Altruisto browser extension might be the easiest way to regularly do good in the world with almost no effort.
Buying an iPhone case online? Three children in Malawi, southeast Africa can get treatment for this disease, without any cost to you! The shop will donate a percentage of your purchase for treating schistosomiasis.
We hope that by now you know exactly where your “donation” is going and how much positive impact you can make on the world with just buying stuff online : )