Disease documentary
Aim:
To understand more about the 3 major diseases.
You will need:
'Key facts' on the diseases (or own research), props (optional).
Duration:
30-40 minutes
Divide into 3 groups. Each group will present a 2-3 minute 'mini-documentary' for the rest of the group about one of the major diseases. As part of the documentary the groups could pretend to interview patients, their families, doctors and medical experts.
You can either provide each group with the lists (below) of '5 key facts' about each disease, or you can ask them to do some research the week beforehand to prepare.
Key facts:
Malaria:
- Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes.
- The symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms. If it is not treated it can lead to death.
- Every year more than 300 million people become ill with Malaria and at least one million people die.
- 90% of deaths due to Malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly among young children.
- It is possible to prevent mosquito bites by sleeping under nets. Treatment for Malaria is available, but needs to be given promptly.
Tuberculosis:
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease and is spread by coughing and sneezing.
- TB kills approximately two million people each year, and more than eight million become sick with the disease.
- The best way to prevent TB is to treat and cure the people who have it, to stop them from spreading it.
- Poverty, a lack of basic health services, poor nutrition, and inadequate living conditions all contribute to the spread of TB.
- TB can be prevented and treated by an inexpensive strategy for detection and cure called DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course). This means health workers observe patients taking their drugs, to prevent the development of drug resistance (caused by incomplete treatment).
HIV / AIDS:
- More than 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, 95% of whom live in developing countries.
- HIV/AIDS has so far killed more than 20 million people worldwide, with over three million people dying of AIDS-related causes in 2004 alone.
- HIV can be transmitted through sex; through blood transfusion or shared needles; and between mother and infant.
- There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Progression of the disease can be slowed down by antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, but these are very expensive.
- The risks of transmitting HIV can be reduced by practising safer sex, and avoiding contact with infected blood.