When I first moved to the city of Huambo in central Angola I myself developed a severe case of dysentery, as did my family. Solution? I had a well dug in my front yard – pictured here with the concert cap over the opening. None of us every became similarly ill again. Several readers have written me about the remarkable number of people ill from water-borne diseases whom I cared for in Angola most recently. I’m so very pleased to see the anticipatory and preventive nature of your comments! Yes, indeed, in just 23 days I diagnosed 8 people with typhoid fever – some at the time of surgery when we discovered their intestinal perforations. I also saw 11 more in whom this diagnosis is not certain, but very likely. I did interview each of these patients and their families about their water sources, and I was fascinated to discover that most all of them were drinking from a particular well. I contacted the village elder about this, and one reader even made a financial contribution to INMED to clean up this water supply!
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