A futuristic tale about diarrhea prevention by students from the american international school of bamako & students from N'tjiproko,

soma niakate, & Alfousseyni kante de sikoro schools in Mali, West a Africa

AGENTS OF H. E. A. L. T. H.

the future of an epidemic

when

rotavirus

attacks!

mali health organizing projectwww.malihealth.org

Mali Health’s mission is to reduce maternal and child mortality in resource-poor communities in West Africa. To achieve this, Mali Health implements replicable programs that improve access to quality primary care at low costs, while increasing the capacity of and participation in local health

systems.

mali health director: kris ansin programs director: Mariam fofana diallo

community empowerment project coordinator: dramane diarra

The American International School of bamakowww.aisbmali.org

aisb is a small international school with a very strong sense of community, educating students ages 2 - 18 years old. we welcome students from over 30 nationalities. We offer an american-style curriculum and our programs are designed to educate the whole child. students in high school have the

opportunity to take advanced placement exams. The language of instruction is english and all students also learn french.

A futuristic tale about diarrhea prevention

By grade 4 & 5 students at theamerican international school of Bamako, Mali, west africa

AISB Instructor: Jeff Fessleraisb classroom assistant: Ben amegatsey

AISB Director: Caroline jacobyfrench translation: isabelle Thomazeau-pepin & ousmane barry

AISB Students:

the future of an epidemic

AGENTS OF H. E. A. L. T. H.

Liv coromalika keitamathies dickomell mboahnil palacios

papi sowsegni traoreShima Sarah ClaireSoraya keitayasmina troare

anouk gangabinyam shewayrgacharity nuhuclara saieleva palacios

Abbah nuhuAbraham diarraaisha gbepoalicia ramos garciaAndreas Andersen

and grade 4 to 8 students at the private elementary schoolsn'tjiproko, soma niakate, & alfousseyni kante de sikoro, mali, w Africa

instructors: Abdoulaye Galo, Gouro Kane Diallo, Soma Lucien NiarÉSTUDENTS:

Djeneba diakatÉFanta diallafatoumaa guindogounidi n'diayehamidou konatÉ

zamine DembelÉLoucmane dopomohamed coulibaly

mohamed KonÉModibo konÉ

Adam n'diayeamadou doaubakary f. kone (N'Fa)bilali diarracheick kone

kadidia diarrakadidiatou sissoko

kani sidibÉkany kantÉkorotoumou bagayaka

!

IN THE 2113, SIKORO AND ALL OF BAMAKO ARE IN RUINS. THAT’S BECAUSE NEARLY 100 YEARS BEFORE, PEOPLE WERE CARELESS AND DIDN’T TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP THEMSELVES OR THEIR ENVIRONMENT HEALTHY.

Back in those days, people practiced open defecation, and did not cover their food, toilets, and wells—allowing flies to carry germs between these places.

The water also became contaminated because the toilets and the wells were built right next to each other. They even built toilets in high spots where the contaminated water could easily flow down and infect wells.

They didn’t wash their hands after using the toilet or changing a baby’s diapers, which meant many germs were passed between people.

Believe it or not, they didn’t even get the vaccine that could prevent Rotavirus, the worst form of diarrhea.

Rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea, spread everywhere. Because feces was everywhere on the ground outside. And since the feces of an infected person contains TEN trillion infectious particles per gram, nearly everyone became sick.

Hi! I'm rotavirus. I was named after the Latin word for wheel (rota)

because of my shape.

Meanwhile, in a secret underground laboratory in Sikoro, a group of infection fighters known as the Agents of HEALTH (Helping Every African Learn To be Healthy) worked to combat the epidemic that was devastating the people of 2113.

This is Oumou, the courageous.

I am Abdul, the leader of the

Agents of H.E.A.L.T.H.

This is Keita, the brainy.

And this is Hawa, the caring

Keita, Things are completely

out of control in Sikoro! Everyone is suffering from diarrhea, and so

many are dying.

I have calculated the data and discovered that back in

2014 there were two billion cases of

diarrhea around the world.

Today, in 2113, it is

quadruple that!

Hawa, this is a tragedy because

diarrhea is an easily preventable

disease!

Oumou, did you know

that back in 2010, almost 18,000 Malian children under five died

from diarrhea? Can you imagine how

many die today?

Keita, this is a difficult

problem because there are so many

causes of diarrhea, such as bacteria, viruses,

and parasites.

I know Abdul, but

Rotavirus is the worst!

You’re right! Back in 2010

Rotavirus killed 7,200 Malian children under

five. Today, it’s so many more.

Once the Rotavirus makes its way to your mouth, the problems begin…

1. Once the virus enters the mouth it makes its way to the small intestine.

2. The virus attaches to the cells in the wall of the small intestine.

3. The virus enters the cytoplasm, the gel-like substance inside the cell.

4. Thousands of new viruses are made, poisoning the cells and causing fluid to be released from the intestinal tissue.

5. Dead cells and stomach fluids exit the body as diarrhea.

And you can even get the virus from something as simple as shaking hands with someone.

There are many ways to get this virus. For example, every time we walk through human or animal waste outside on the ground, we can pick up the virus. Waste is full of germs—it’s like a germ bomb!

We all shake hands, which

means we can pick up germs . Then if we touch our mouth we get sick. Or if we prepare food

without washing our hands, we pass the virus to

others.

People just have to remember to

ALWAYS wash their hands at three critical times: after using the toilet, before touching food, and after

changing a baby’s diapers.

!

As we were preparing our supplies, a person near the door of our underground lab relieved himself on the street instead of going to a toilet facility. Within minutes we heard a buzzing sound, and it grew louder.

It was time to go above ground and remind people how to stay healthy. So, we packed all of our gear: germ-proof protective suits, helmets, Aquatabs water purification tablets, chlorine treated water, soap, Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), and zinc tablets.

The feces attracted a massive swarm of giant flies! 100 years ago these were normal-sized flies. But because there was so much waste and uncovered toilets, they morphed into giant insects over the years. Now we have daily battles with these dangerous pests.

These things are

covered with rotavirus!

As we were fighting the flies, a few shadowy figures approached. It was the dreaded Dirty Hand Tribe! Over the years people hand such dirty hands that they morphed into towering, filthy creatures who spread germs throughout the land.

I'M out of chlorine!

We ran as fast as a shooting star from the Dirty Hands Tribe back to the lab.

sure was. Boy

am i hungry after all of that

work.

That was close,

Abdul!

Back to the lab, and quickly!

unfortunately i was so hungry I just splashed water on my hands for a few seconds and didn't use soap.

Two days later I was feeling terrible. First I vomited. Then I raced to the toilet over and over—at least 3 times—and had a very watery stool. My eyes and stomach were sunken. I cried from pain but no tears came. I was just so tired, and had a low-grade fever.

You are so dehydrated as well. That can lead to death!

Abdul, you have the symptoms of

diarrhea!

Then I ate my lunch, picking up my food with my fingers—fingers that still had germs on them!

For children, Diarrhea

often leads to malnutrition which

also can cause death.

My team knew the symptoms of rotavirus…do you?

vomiting

low grade fever

few or no tears

sunken eyes & abdomen

dry mouth & tongue

headache

3 or more watery stools

abdominal pain

lethargy

no appetite

runny or stuffy nose

The other agents checked inside my body using our high tech medical scanner.

I’m sorry, Abdul.

It's just what we thought.

You definitely have a case of

Rotavirus.

My colleagues ran around like crazy trying to find supplies to help me feel better, such as Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and zinc tablets.

Nothing in the supply drawers. What are we going to do to help

Abdul?

We have to act fast. He is getting worse by the

minute.

I wish we could go back In

time and fix all of the problems that led to

this mess.

Keita and his team worked nonstop to build the time machine.

If only it was that easy….

Wait a minute…it IS that easy! I can build a time machine with a few things we have around

the lab!

Oumou even risked her life above ground to find a few spare mechanical parts to make the machine operate.

Wow! We did it! Now we

can’t waste a single minute. Let’s get

on board.

At last it was ready, a real time

machine that could transport them back 99

years.

I told Abdul we would

be back soon, so we have to work

fast!

Just minutes later they appeared in Sikoro in the year 2014. They found themselves just outside of a school, and as they walked around their strange clothes attracted a crowd.

Who are you? Where are you

from?

We are the Agents of

H.E.A.L.T.H.! This may sound strange, but we are from 99

years in the future…

The future? That must be awesome!

Actually, it's

horrible! Here, I’ll use

my wrist projector to

show you our future world.

There is a Rotavirus epidemic. We live in a

wasteland.

!

You can take precautions now

for a better future.

but kids, with your help

we can reverse this terrible

future

First, make sure you get the

Rotavirus vaccination so you never get this horrible illness.

wash your hands! Even something this simple makes a big difference!

It's free at the clinic!

1. Wet hands 2. take soap

3. Wash between the fingers, under the nails, and on the back of the hand for about 20 seconds.

4. Rinse and dry with towel or air dry.

keep flies from transmitting germs from place to place by doing the following…..

Cover your wells.

Cover your food.

Cover toilets.

Wash your fruits and vegetables with a chlorine-based product like Javel.

It kills all the germs that

can cause diarrhea,

toileT

WELL

When building wells and toilets, keep them at least ten meters or more apart. Otherwise the toilet will contaminate the well.

And always, always build the wells in the highest area, and toilets in the lowest area.

That way the well

water stays safe and clean.

For the water in your five-gallon containers at home, add Aquatabs to kill the germs.

OKay Agents

of h.e.a.l.t.h.! We

promise to follow all of

your advice. and we will

spread the word to everyone

we know. We want a healthy future!

Next the three agents headed toward a local clinic.

Let’s help the

patients with diarrhea

understand how to treat their illness.

You’re right.

There is no cure for diarrhea, but there

are ways to make the

patient feel better and get better

quicker.Without proper

treatment, the diarrhea only gets

worse.

Once inside, they share good advice.

First, always follow your

doctor’s orders!

Drink Oral

Rehydration Solutions (ORS) to replace the sugar and salt

that you’ve lost.

It’s a powder you buy at the pharmacy, then you just add

water and drink.

Take zinc tablets

too. You also get these

at the pharmacy. They

shorten the time you have

diarrhea and prevent you

from getting it again in the months afterwards.

Eat nutritious

foods as well to put

nutrients back in your body

that were lost during your illness.

Look at how

beautiful Sikoro is now!

You also

need to drink water…lots of it! This will

rehydrate your body and

keep everything inside working.

Finally, the agents returned to the time machine, set the dial for 2113, and in a few minutes were back to the future. But things looked a bit different this time…..

I guess those

kids in the past followed our

advice!

Finally, the agents returned to the time machine, set the dial for 2113, and in a few minutes were back to the future. But things looked a bit different this time…..

Good work

Agents of HEALTH! Not

only did you save me, but you

saved Sikoro too! It’s hard to

believe that just a few simple

steps can prevent a catastrophe in the

future.

But our job isn’t done. We

must continue our mission to keep

healthy.

Here’s to a healthy and happy world!