Ref: Goel, A.  Schistosomiasis, (Multimedia CD Review).  Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Book Reviews, 2009; Vol. 9, No. 1 (January - June 2010) ; Published January 1, 2010, (Accessed: 

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Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Book Reviews

Volume 9, Number 1, January - June 2010

Multimedia Review Section

(Page 1)

A WEALTH OF USEFUL INFORMATION ON SCHISTOSOMIASIS ...This CD is a must for all health workers tackling Bilharzia in their day-to-day life and other Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections, whether it be in an endemic area or not {A necessity anywhere and more than a necessity in an endemic area}. A CD to possess if you are an ardent collector of educational resources mainly books. We have to realize that time moves on and so does technology. Its time for such beautifully crafted COMPACT disks now rather than heavy books. This control initiative CD is a blessing in disguise for students too who hold interests in understanding PRACTICALLY the spread of the disease...

 Schistosomiasis, (TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SERIES),  (Publication date 1998, © The Trustee of The Wellcome Trust, London 2005) Multimedia CD-ROM,

CABI Publishing, 10 East 40th Street, Suite 3203, New York, NY10016, USA, Tel: 44 (0) 1491 829255, E-mail: cabweb@cabi.org, [Also published by Wellcome Trust, Gibbs Building, 215 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK. T +44 (0)20 7611 8888. F +44 (0)20 7611 8545], 1 CD-ROM with booklet 9 pp. ISBN: 085199248X, Price: £120/$195 (Institutional); £30/$55 (Student/Individual); £45/$80 (Developing Country)

 Official site of this Multimedia: Click here to visit

Dengue, Multimedia CD

One illness that affects around 200 million poor people with resulting chronic health consequences, complications and even death is Bilharzia- also known more frequently as Schistosomiasis {Schistosoma is blood fluke}. Schist etymologically refers to 'split' and this word refers to the schist gynaecophoric canal in the male platyhelminth where the female worm resides.

The history of this parasitic illness is not defined best as recent. An extract-

"1500 BC Hieroglyphics on papyrus describes a disease known as faf, thought to be urinary schistosomiasis. One symbol represents male genitalia with stream of red urine {Haematuria} emerging.."

"In 1851, Dr Theodar Bilharz discovered the adult schistosome worms during a post-mortem examination in an Egyptian patient."

Coming to this comprehensibly intelligible educational resource, it administers the essentials with the aims to create awareness, change perceptions of the common man, foster support and understanding of the SCI program, and provide information and training to personnel involved in implementation.

Divided into 2 main parts- ADVOCACY and TRAINING

The ADVOCACY part {THEORETICAL} explains the situation and the disease pattern with additional information on Soil Transmitted Helminths.

The TRAINING part {PRACTICAL} is the chocolaty icing on the cake with tutorials, evaluations, techniques for diagnosis, information on how to map data and supra-vital advice on effective implementation. Consists of a TOOLBOX and a TRAINING KIT which really stand up to the high expectations set off in the mind of the Reader.. Or Listener... OR Practitioner.....

Well I am not sure of which word to use here, as this CD encompasses facilities for each one.

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." - Confucius

...Some brilliant features of this CD include - Relevant images of clinical signs & diagnostic methods {One image even shows a Cryoelectron Microscopic image of a mature Dengue virus!!!!}, Videos, Animations {showing the transmission of the disease clearly}, Flowcharts {one showing the ideal method of triage of patients}, Graphs & Maps {showing change in regional distribution and number of cases}...

These wise words bring forward a revolutionary realization in the world of learning. Whatever the form of learning, modes of learning define the retention of what is learnt.

The best features of this CD include-

* Videos that show- 1) The spread of this disease and life cycle of worms

2) And important messages from the wise men- Ugandan Health Minister Honorary Jim Muhwezi {who highlights the vicious cycle- Schistosomiasis infects the poor.. Who are debilitated, getting even poorer and these poorer sections become more prone to the adverse effects of this parasite} and Professor Alan Fenwick who emphasizes the importance of treatment especially in the high risk group of school children.

* Animations that explain the life-cycles of the worms and provide crucial information on the checkpoints that can be targeted in control programmes.

* Photos- Those that show the symptoms of the disease and the conditions {Real life conditions} that play a major part in transmitting this illness.

* Maps that show the prevalence of the different species of Schistosoma

* Excellent quality Audio that reads out the written text.

* Site Map that keeps you connected and in line with the desired information even in this extensive sea of useful facts.

* Help Messages that guide the user on how to use the features.

* Text Search- that provides a quick method for looking for any information that may prove life-saving in emergency conditions.

*'The DO PART'- The real practice.. Comparable to on-field practices of diagnosis, data collection, training and treatment.

The take-home messages are many.. The user gets a golden opportunity to vastly increase his knowledge stores on a disease endemic in many areas and easily curable if proper medication {Praziquantel} is taken. But there is a quotation- "An Ounce of PREVENTION is worth a Pound of CURE." And this resource also stresses the need for prevention and cutting down the transmission of this disease through easily implementable steps.

This CD is a must for all health workers tackling Bilharzia in their day-to-day life and other Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections, whether it be in an endemic area or not {A necessity anywhere and more than a necessity in an endemic area}. A CD to possess if you are an ardent collector of educational resources mainly books. We have to realize that time moves on and so does technology. Its time for such beautifully crafted COMPACT disks now rather than heavy books. This control initiative CD is a blessing in disguise for students too who hold interests in understanding PRACTICALLY the spread of the disease.

And lastly but not least this is a boon for those who think themselves lucky enough or want to be so, like me, to be able to lay hands on something so wonderful, so as to leave you amazed as to how inanimate objects come so close to replicating {and much more than just replicating}, the live objects.. Life as it is...

System requirements

Installation:

For Ordering Information and enquiries contact:

TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SERIES

The Topics in International Health series is designed for use as an educational resource in tropical and international health. It is aimed at medical and life sciences students, their teachers, healthcare professionals, academics, and researchers.
There are 36 Video Clips for basic as well as advanced learning.
The series covers some of the most common causes of illness and mortality worldwide and aims to provide accessible high quality information. All the content of this CD is reviewed by experts in the relevant field.
Each CD-ROM provides three complementary resources: Interactive Tutorials, Image Collection, and Glossary.
1. The Interactive Tutorials provide a framework for self-directed learning. They are designed for use alone or in small groups. Each tutorial has clear learning objectives, self-assessment tests, references to encourage further reading and a summary to reinforce key points.
2. The Image Collection is a searchable database of photographic images and accompanying information. It can be used as a detailed reference source or to provide examples for practical exercises and lectures.
3. The Glossary is an electronic index which explains the medical and scientific terms used in the Tutorials and Image Collection. Each CD-ROM has its own subject-specific Glossary.
Topics in International Health Trachoma, Wellcome Trust CD-ROM This CD-ROM provides a wealth of useful information on the biology, epidemology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of trachoma in an instructive and imaginative way. It would be very useful for training institutes or advanced students with access to computer facilities. Many images can be adapted for overheads for lectures or practical sessions.
Available from: CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE,UK.
Fax:+44 1491 826090 E-mail:publishing@cabi.org

-Akshay Goel Akshay Goel, 21, currently a 4th professional year {8th semester} undergraduate MBBS student at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, is dedicated to medicine {His dedication can be gauged from the fact that he apart from the Delhi PMT and other Medical Entrance Exams, also cleared the Indian Institute of Technology [IIT] and Delhi College of Engineering [DCE] entrance exams with superb ranks, but chose to join MAMC}. A brilliant student academically, performing exceedingly well round the year, he is a keen reviewer with a perfect blend of a fast-thinking but calm & composed mind. He has been a splendid debator from school days and is also an avid chess player who has won many competitions in college and inter-college events. Akshay can be contacted at akshay_the_columban@yahoo.com., or by phone at 9911047777.

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