Pummeling parasites, saving lives
Published: 22 Aug. 2009, 05:48
Twice every year, Lim Han-jong packs his bags and sets off for Tanzania in the eastern part of Africa.
But these aren’t leisurely trips by any means, and he certainly isn’t going on a guided safari.
The professor emeritus from Korea University’s medical school in northern Seoul teams up with four younger Korean medical instructors to treat local residents who are suffering from parasite infection.
The group of medical professionals includes Min Deuk-young, 67, a professor at Eulji University; Chae Jong-il, 57, of Seoul National University; Eum Ki-soon, 54, of Chungbuk National University; and Yong Tae-sun, 50, of Yonsei University.
In cooperation with Good Neighbors, an international humanitarian and development nongovernmental organization, the five professors trek to Kome Island in Lake Victoria, which is located in the northern part of the country, as part of a mission to eradicate parasites.
There are about 50,000 people living on the island, many of whom are suffering from ailments caused by a schistosome, a kind of parasitic worm also known as blood-fluke or bilharzia that thrives in the lake.
Schistosome worms penetrate the skin and, once inside the body, can harm the liver, the bladder and other organs. If left untreated, it can even lead to death.
Lim, 77, discovered years ago that most of the island’s residents are infected with schistosome parasites, as they use water from the lake to do laundry, take baths and drink. The medical team, which has been visiting the island since 2005, has helped reduce the chances of infection by 30 percent.
On a recent day, an 8-year-old Tanzanian boy by the name of Edwin Mwinjuka stood in the middle of a long line of residents waiting for Lim to test their urine at Izindaba Elementary School.
When it was Edwin’s turn, Lim examined the change in color of a piece of paper that was placed inside a bottle containing the boy’s urine. The doctor then pressed Edwin’s belly with his fingers.
The prognosis was positive. The child had been suffering from helminthiasis - a disease caused by the worm - since May but was now completely healed, thanks to the medicine Lim and his team administered.
During their journeys to Tanzania, the professors distribute medicine that wipes out the parasites in newly infected patients.
Lim was the first Korean scholar to earn a doctoral degree in parasite studies, and he created a manual for examining the feces of parasitic worms in the early 1960s.
He turned his eyes to the broader world in 1995 after retiring from his job as a professor at Korea University’s medical school. Aside from his work in Tanzania, he assisted Chinese people living in border areas of the country with the fight against parasites for a decade. For five of those years, he also provided medical aid in Laos.
Lim received a medal of honor three separate times from the Chinese government for his work.
Now, one of his dreams is coming true: South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has agreed to spend 2.5 billion won ($2 million) to build a hospital specializing in treating “neglected” tropical diseases by the summer of next year.
The hospital will be constructed in the Mwanza district, of which Kome Island is a part.
In order to prevent residents of the island from drinking the water from Lake Victoria, Lim’s team and Good Neighbors are jointly digging a large well. He hopes to continue these efforts for years to come but said he might be limited for health reasons.
“I want to help as many people as possible who are suffering from parasite infection,” Lim said.
By Jeong Seon-eon [[email protected]]
But these aren’t leisurely trips by any means, and he certainly isn’t going on a guided safari.
The professor emeritus from Korea University’s medical school in northern Seoul teams up with four younger Korean medical instructors to treat local residents who are suffering from parasite infection.
The group of medical professionals includes Min Deuk-young, 67, a professor at Eulji University; Chae Jong-il, 57, of Seoul National University; Eum Ki-soon, 54, of Chungbuk National University; and Yong Tae-sun, 50, of Yonsei University.
In cooperation with Good Neighbors, an international humanitarian and development nongovernmental organization, the five professors trek to Kome Island in Lake Victoria, which is located in the northern part of the country, as part of a mission to eradicate parasites.
There are about 50,000 people living on the island, many of whom are suffering from ailments caused by a schistosome, a kind of parasitic worm also known as blood-fluke or bilharzia that thrives in the lake.
Schistosome worms penetrate the skin and, once inside the body, can harm the liver, the bladder and other organs. If left untreated, it can even lead to death.
Lim, 77, discovered years ago that most of the island’s residents are infected with schistosome parasites, as they use water from the lake to do laundry, take baths and drink. The medical team, which has been visiting the island since 2005, has helped reduce the chances of infection by 30 percent.
On a recent day, an 8-year-old Tanzanian boy by the name of Edwin Mwinjuka stood in the middle of a long line of residents waiting for Lim to test their urine at Izindaba Elementary School.
When it was Edwin’s turn, Lim examined the change in color of a piece of paper that was placed inside a bottle containing the boy’s urine. The doctor then pressed Edwin’s belly with his fingers.
The prognosis was positive. The child had been suffering from helminthiasis - a disease caused by the worm - since May but was now completely healed, thanks to the medicine Lim and his team administered.
During their journeys to Tanzania, the professors distribute medicine that wipes out the parasites in newly infected patients.
Lim was the first Korean scholar to earn a doctoral degree in parasite studies, and he created a manual for examining the feces of parasitic worms in the early 1960s.
He turned his eyes to the broader world in 1995 after retiring from his job as a professor at Korea University’s medical school. Aside from his work in Tanzania, he assisted Chinese people living in border areas of the country with the fight against parasites for a decade. For five of those years, he also provided medical aid in Laos.
Lim received a medal of honor three separate times from the Chinese government for his work.
Now, one of his dreams is coming true: South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has agreed to spend 2.5 billion won ($2 million) to build a hospital specializing in treating “neglected” tropical diseases by the summer of next year.
The hospital will be constructed in the Mwanza district, of which Kome Island is a part.
In order to prevent residents of the island from drinking the water from Lake Victoria, Lim’s team and Good Neighbors are jointly digging a large well. He hopes to continue these efforts for years to come but said he might be limited for health reasons.
“I want to help as many people as possible who are suffering from parasite infection,” Lim said.
By Jeong Seon-eon [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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