Yaws Campaign

Where UNO Helps

In Solomom

Honiara, June 1J

F|R- Freidrich C. Tross, and I 1." J. Ramirez, with Mr. G.

Maxwell (Administrati Officer), arrived in the Solomc on May 8 to commence the flj Yaws campaign in the Protectora The campaign has been arrang by the World Health Organisatii at the request of the BSIP Gc ernment, and will be the respc sibility of Dr. F. Hollins (Chi Medical Officer) at the Cent Hospital, Honiara.

Commencing early in June, t) pilot project will first visit Srm Malaita, where a house-to-hou survey will be taken. The obje« are to eradicate or control 13 disease, and prevent future spres Altogether, about 5,000 Solora Islanders will be examined—apprc imately two-t birds Melanesia from Small Malaita, and the i mainder from Rennell Island, mosi Polynesians.

It is the intention of the proje party to train three teams fro the medical staff of the Cent Hospital, to participate in the cai paign. The campaign by the WE party will last approximately fa months, and will be continu throughout the Solomons after thj departure by the three train teams.

After about a year, a WE official probably will return a:, visit Small Malaita and Renni Island, to assess results.

Preliminary examinations of smi sections of the community had coc firmed, said Dr. Tross, that Yaj was a major public health proble in the Solomons. It was oft] accepted as something normal a:, inevitable, but. if allowed to go uj checked’ it could result in a max economic problem.

In the past, campaigns failed ft two main reasons—first, because expense and, second, because befc penicillin there was no suitable dr* which could be administered to < large population in an easy ws so as to ensure maximum curatii results.

The advent of penicillin change the picture dramatically, said E Tross. The present long-a ct i n compounds make it possible to eff© a cure in practically all cas«< with only one injection.

The new drugs, plus the fact thr there are two sub-agencies of UN (WHO and UNICEF) which as offering technical assistance a n material support to any country help combat a public health problee like yaws, TB or malaria, have mau it possible to carry out control an eradication campaigns on a lan scale.