According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hookworm infects about one-fifth of the world's population.
The parasite, which is transferred through walking barefoot in soil that contains infected human feces, is most common in tropical areas because hookworms thrive in moist climates.,”By Molly Newman
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hookworm infects about one-fifth of the world's population.
The parasite, which is transferred through walking barefoot in soil that contains infected human feces, is most common in tropical areas because hookworms thrive in moist climates.
After learning about hookworm in her Third World Politics class, Malika Taalbi, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, wanted to help. She and friends Ryan Drysdale, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Mallory Ericson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, organized a shoe drive to provide countries in the developing world with the means to prevent hookworm and to raise awareness about the parasite, Taalbi said.
Boxes were placed around campus Monday and will remain through Nov. 16 for students to drop off used or new shoes. The shoes will be donated to an organization called Soles 4 Soles, which provides shoes to countries and organizations for disaster relief and disease prevention.
Kate Trevey, coordinator for student organizations and leadership, said the drive is being sponsored by AIDS awareness group Watumishi, though Taalbi and Ericson have applied to create a student organization devoted to awareness and prevention of preventable diseases.
Trevey said the group is still in the application process.
Taalbi said she, Drysdale and Ericson advertised the event with informational tables in the Alumni Memorial Union, posters, chalking and a Facebook group called "STOMP Out Hookworm."
The students chose to hold the shoe drive after fall break so students could bring their old shoes back to school, Taalbi said. The goal is to collect more than 1,000 pairs of shoes.
Drysdale said other Milwaukee schools have also agreed to participate in the shoe drive, including Cardinal Stritch University, Thomas More High School and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
"Our goal with this is to make it really self-sustainable, so schools can set it up from our framework," Drysdale said.
Taalbi, Drysdale and Ericson hope to call their organization "Msaada: Preventing the Preventable," which will focus on preventable diseases such as hookworm and malaria.
Msaada is a Kiswahili word meaning help, aid, assistance or support.
Drysdale said awareness is key to helping prevent such diseases, and students at Marquette should participate in prevention.
"When you get stuck in the developed world, you forget how easy you have it," Drysdale said. "When you create awareness, you break that bubble people have."
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