Among the very worst parasitic diseases is Schistosomiasis, which is caused by the invasion of worms in the human circulatory system. These parasites infect around 200 million people per year; the vast majority of those infected reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. The worms are hatched by snails which inhabit contaminated freshwater ponds and streams. Due to a lack of access to sterile water, there is a clear explanation as to why there is such a high concentration of cases in the Sub-Saharan region. As they bathe or utilize the water to wash their clothes, the worms penetrate through their skin. Along with internal bleeding and organ damage, some of the most notable side effects is an increased risk of contracting HIV, and cancer. To date, doctors have been unable to create a vaccine or medication that would work past one specific case of infection. Meaning, there has been no way to protect people from becoming reinfected with these parasites the next time they are in contact with contaminated water. The World Health Organization has now begun to conduct experiments in an attempt to pinpoint sites contaminated with Schistosome worms to reduce the growing number of the infected. WHO has recently hypothesized that if they could exterminate the snails which incubate these parasites, they could make a significant difference in the number of those affected. Recently, they have made a pivotal discovery in their research: using aerial imagery, they were able to pinpoint the specific aquatic vegetation that the snails tended to surround. A leading researcher stated,“This realization allowed us to make an important discovery: human schistosomiasis infections were more common at sites where this suitable snail habitat was present”. I believe that in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is crucial that a solution is found in order to prevent further risk of HIV. With the possibilities that these drones have brought, the eradication of masses of snails may hopefully lead to clean water that may be confidently utilized by the surrounding people.
