Microscopes
An important element of our mission is to try to equip every medical clinic with a microscope.
Microscopes are an essential basic tool lacking in the medical clinics in Ancash Province. Without them, it is next to impossible to make accurate diagnoses of worm infestations or identify other infectious disease agents like streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, meningococcus, E coli, V cholerae, Salmonella enterica, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum, vivax, and malariae – disease agents that cause cholera, pneumonia, meningitis, typhoid, tuberculosis and malaria.
Because of a lack of microscopes, many children are sickly and many are needlessly dying in Peru, even today. With microscopes, the medical staff can see the microorganisms, the tiny eggs of the worms, and the worms themselves. Once the disease agents are identified, proper treatment can then be effectively carried out.
Worm infestation is a universal problem among the children in central Peru. After demonstrating the presence of worms and parasites, we will help the people understand the diseases that they can cause.
In particular, we want them to know that
• Worms rob from children the nutrition they should get from their food.
• Worms feed on their blood, and make them anemic.
• Worms can migrate to the liver, lungs, the heart, the brain and the eyes, and cause serious illnesses in many organ systems throughout the body.
• Worm infestations are easily preventable.
