Why is it called chickenpox? Some say the rash it causes makes people look like they’ve been pecked by chickens Name Chickenpox aka varicella Transmission A highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is in the family of herpes viruses It spreads from person to person via... read more →
Dec
30
Dec
23
This disease appeared in the UK and Spain for the first time this year Name Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) The disease was discovered in Crimea in 1944 and in 1969 it was recognized as the same pathogen responsible for an illness identified in 1956 in Congo Thus the joint name... read more →
Dec
16
This is the largest parasitic killer after malaria Name Leishmaniasis (also known as kala azar, black fever, and the “Aleppo evil”) Transmission A parasitic disease that is categorized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) The disease spreads when humans are infected with Leishmania parasites These parasites enter the body when people are... read more →
Dec
09
Our #ItStartsWithMe Campaign continues! So far we’ve distributed 72,000 bars of soap, 900 pieces of handwash, 6,000 tubes of lotion, and 12,000 pieces of roll on deodorant and reached more than 9,000 students in Lagos to promote clean hands and encourage good hygiene to help prevent the spread of disease. Unilever Nigeria and Kleanmate donated the products to DRASA in support of... read more →
Dec
09
This infectious virus was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia Name MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) Transmission A viral respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause a variety of diseases ranging from a cold to SARS (severe acute respiratory... read more →
Dec
08
Today we did our final #ItStartsWithMe school visit before school ends for the year. We visited Iganmu Senior High School in Mile 2 (Amuwo-Odofin), Lagos. Welcome to Iganmu Senior High School There were more than 900 students at the school (and it wasn’t at full capacity) so we spoke to the students... read more →
Dec
07
Today at the LearnAfrica/NECO Excellence Awards, we presented the Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Prize for Best Grade in Biology to the top biology student in the country: Ikechukwu Augustine Enemoh. Congratulations Ikechukwu! Every year since 2012, the LearnAfrica Education Development Foundation has hosted the excellence awards to honor top performing... read more →
Dec
02
As of December 2015, 36.7 million people all over the world were living with HIV Name HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) Transmission HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and weakens the body’s defense against infections and some types of cancer It spreads from person... read more →
Nov
25
This is the leading preventable infectious cause of blindness in the world Name Trachoma Transmission Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye It spreads easily from person to person through contact with eyes, eyelids, nose, or throat secretions of infected people It also spreads through flies that come in... read more →
Nov
18
Pneumonia is the leading infectious killer of children under the age of five Name Pneumonia Transmission Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs It is a common complication of respiratory infections especially the flu Our lungs have small sacs called alveoli which fill up with air when we breathe With... read more →