{"id":452,"date":"2023-02-06T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.medi-for-help.com\/en\/?p=452"},"modified":"2024-01-15T11:47:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T10:47:36","slug":"together-with-hasa-in-rwanda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medi-for-help.com\/en\/news-and-updates\/together-with-hasa-in-rwanda\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the East African country of Rwanda with our new partner organisation Heart and Sole Africa (HASA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The medi for help team embarked on an exploratory trip to Rwanda in early November 2022 together with our partner organisation Heart and Sole Africa (HASA) to help people with podoconiosis. The chronic tropical disease is considered a non-contagious type of elephantiasis and is also known as non-filarial lymphoedema. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, bilateral swelling of the legs with asymmetric expression, discolouration of the skin and nodular growth on the toes and feet.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In the northern province of Rwanda, podoconiosis (podo) is mainly caused by high concentrations of silicic acid in the soil. People who walk barefoot on the volcanic clay soil are particularly affected. A large number of those affected are therefore small farmers who work in the fields without shoes and are thus chronically exposed to the silicates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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As the majority of the work here is done by women, many girls and mothers are also affected. About 6,500 people are affected by podo in Rwanda, and health care providers for these particular patients are scarce or non-existent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A 2020 survey by the Center for one Health at the University of Global Health Equity in Kigali attempted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care providers from all districts in Rwanda. As many as 44 percent of respondents correctly identified soil as the only direct cause of illness. 76 percent expressed negative attitudes towards podoconiosis sufferers, seeing them as a threat to the health of themselves and their families. This showed clear gaps in knowledge and treatment of the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source<\/em>:
Ursin Bayisenge University of Global Health Equity. Published online at:<\/em>
https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosntds\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pntd.0008740<\/em><\/a> (Last accessed 03\/02\/2023).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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HASA has been working in the field since 2009 and supports those affected at more than eleven locations across the country. Cooperation with partner clinics, such as the St. Vincent Children and Family Centre in Musanze, has led to the development of a successful prevention and treatment programme for podoconiosis patients. Symptoms of the chronic disease can be combated with education and hygienic tools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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On our trip, we also found that young people with the disease and mothers with children were being abandoned by their families and sometimes living on the streets. There is a misconception that the disease is contagious. It is therefore extremely important to educate people about the development of podo and the correct way to deal with the disease in order to prevent the social isolation of those affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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