Web Extras
African River Blindness Documentary
In the summer of 2007, Dartmouth Medical School student Aimée Peck combined her passion for learning about infectious diseases with her compassion for those afflicted by such illnesses. Working with award-winning filmmaker Aaron Edell, she produced a 30-minute documentary about the tropical scourge African river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis. Shot on location, in Tanzania, the film, 37 Million and Counting, is intended to raise awareness about the disease, which afflicts 37 million people worldwide, and the efforts to treat it. Below are the trailers for the documentary, due to be released in early 2008.
To learn more about this project, read "Student had 37 million reasons to do film project." Additional information and still photos are also available at the film's website.
Video
- Main Trailer
Untreated, African River Blindness causes extreme itching, pain, skin lesions, inflammation, seizures, and eventual blindness. Effective treatment exists, so why are people still suffering?
- Additional Trailer
A powerful drug, donated by Merck, helps keep river blindness under control, but how do you get it to the people who need it most?
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