The Cost of Cure

The five leading causes of death and disease in most developing countries, exclusive of starvation and HIV/AIDS, are listed below, with the cost of treatment:

DISEASE		MEDICATION		COST TO TREAT
				1 Person	10 People	500 People	1,000 People
Malaria*		Anti-malarial (e.g. Fansidar: 100 mg/tab, twice daily x 5 days)		$3.50	$350	$1,750	$3,500
Intestinal Worm Infestation**		Anti-worm medication (e.g. Mebendazole; like Vermox: 500 mg/tab; 1 tab is total treatment)		$0.40	$40	$200	$400
Unclean Water*** (Producing diarrhea, dehydration and death)		Water Germ Medication (e.g. Metronizadole; like Flagyl: 250 mg/tab, once daily x 5 days)		$0.40	$40	$200	$400
Common Bacterial Infections**** (Pneumonia, urinary tract/ear/soft tissue/skin infections, meningitis)		Antibiotics (e.g. Amoxicillin, a penicillin derivative: 500 mg/tab; twice daily x 5 days)		$0.50	$50	$250	$500

* One million people die of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa annually.

** Worm infestation occurs from eating raw meat and food contaminated with dirt. Well over 50% of children seen on our medical missions trips have some type of worm infestation.

*** These bacterial and water-borne illnesses are extremely common, easily diagnosed and easily treated with the availability of the needed antibiotics.

**** These infections, when untreated, lead to organ damage, sterility, the further infection of sexual partners, and are highly associated with concurrent HIV/AIDS infection.