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A comprehensive, advanced educational resource and disseminator of basic and clinical information dealing with all aspects of the global problems associated with the acquisition of parasitic diseases that adversely affect people around the world.
A comprehensive, advanced educational resource and disseminator of basic and clinical information dealing with all aspects of the global problems associated with the acquisition of parasitic diseases that adversely affect people around the world.
What can I do to help eliminate human suffering due to parasitic infections? One answer is to lead to ones strengths. For us the choice was easy; more and better education for all those in a position to apply medical knowledge directly to populations most in need of solutions to alleviate the burden of parasitic diseases.
Help bring the latest medical and basic biological information pertaining to diseases caused by eukaryotic parasites to every practicing physician and medical student within the United States.
Throughout August, September and October, all donations made to Parasites Without Borders will be matched by PWB and donated to Floating Doctors.
Throughout August, September and October, all donations made to Parasites Without Borders will be matched by PWB and donated to Floating Doctors. PWB pledges a minimum donation of $10,000 and will match all of your donations, for a total gift to Floating Doctors of up to $40,000. These donations will help support our shared commitment to reduce the present and future burden of disease in the developing world, and to promote improvements in healthcare delivery worldwide.
Floating Doctors offers programs for doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare workers to volunteer their time and talents to residents in communities throughout Panama. The organization’s goals include providing free acute and preventative healthcare services, facilitating community development and capacity initiatives, reducing child and maternal mortality, promoting improvements in healthcare practice worldwide and more. Throughout the pandemic, Floating Doctors remained dedicated to its patients, maintaining chronic care patients and pivoting to delivering nutritional support to communities when supply chains and employment opportunities collapsed, leaving many of our patients without consistent food access for months.
Founded in 2009 by Dr. Benjamin LaBrot, Floating Doctors began as a small project with the goal of bringing healthcare services to isolated areas. It has since grown into an organization with international recognition that thrives via volunteer engagement, community outreach and education, extensive partnerships with local health organizations and educational systems and an adaptability that allows them to tailor care to the needs of specific communities.
Authoritative Learning Materials
For Educators
Books
Our books, are required reading for physicians planning to practice abroad to gain a better understanding of the common infections they will likely be seeing and treating.
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Certification Exams
A team of physicians who are certified in caring for parasitic infections will serve to increase the safety and overall success of your organization's missions abroad. Learn more about our certifications.
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Video Courses
Parasitic Diseases Lectures is a 45 part video series that explores the biology and pathogenesis of protozoan and helminth parasites. The Medical Handbook for Limited Resource Settings is also a comprehensive e-learning video course that can be accessed here on our website.
Our Books
Parasites Without Borders offers several books for FREE and for purchase for educators.
The Problem
Common Parasitic Infections
The world is getting smaller. Global shrinkage is real and is driven by information overload from the internet, CNN, The BBC, NPR, and Al jazeera, to name a few. All the while, the human population continues to grow, exacerbating unresolved issues of rapid urbanization that is being caused by the predictable adverse effects of rapid climate change on the environment. Yet, for some of us, especially if we are among the few millions of lucky ones, our lives will continue essentially unchanged, enriched by complex, interesting cultures. We will work hard for our income, and most importantly we will not worry about where our next meal comes from. Becoming physically and psychologically compromised by some exotic disease entity – malaria or schistosomiasis – seems as remote a possibility as waking up surrounded by a host of other life-threatening issues.
Malaria
There were an estimated 198 million cases of malaria worldwide (range 124-283 million) in 2013, and an estimated 584,000 deaths (range 367,000 - 755,000).
African
Trypanosomiasis
In 1995, WHO Expert Committee estimated that 60 million people were at risk with an estimated 300,000 new cases per year in Africa, with fewer than 30,000 cases diagnosed and treated.
American
Trypanosomiasis
About 6 million to 7 million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America, are estimated to be infected with Trypansosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.
Leishmaniasis
The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites from more than 20 Leishmania species. These parasites are transmitted to humans by the bites of the infected female phlebotomine sandfly.
Schistosomiasis
Estimates show that at least 258 million people required preventive treatment for schistosomiasis in 2014. More than 61.6 million people were reported to have been treated for schistosomiasis in 2014.
Ascariasis
Ascaris infection due to A. lumbricoides occurs worldwide; approximately 800 million people are infected.
Hookworm
Hookworm is an intestinal parasite most commonly found in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide, particularly in Africa, South East Asia, the Western Pacific, Latin America and the Mediterranean.
Trichuriasis
An estimated 604-795 million people in the world are infected with whipworm. Whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris are known as soil-transmitted parasitic worms.
Our Team
For the purpose of eliminating human suffering due to parasitic infections it is essential that there is more and better education for all those in a position to apply medical knowledge directly to populations most in need of solutions to alleviate the burden of parasitic diseases. The three of us have had a life-time of experience in teaching parasitic diseases to students of medicine, both within the U.S.A. and abroad.
Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD
Dickson D. Despommier, PhD
Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH
Peter J. Hotez MD PhD FAAP FASTMH
Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine
Director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics
