In the volcanic hills of Nyundo sector, Rubavu District, it is very hard to walk for an hour without seeing a person with swollen legs, deformed toes, or scaly leg skin.
Citizens easily mistake such diseases for witchcraft or other forms of supernatural powers against someone.
The disease is Podoconiosis- a non-infectious geochemical leg swelling (lymphoedema) caused by long-term exposure of bare feet to irritant soils.
In Nyundo, this disease has been around for ages but most residents say they didn’t know its cause until the year 2020 when the Podoconiosis treatment service was introduced to Nyundo Health Centre.
“Suffering from this disease is partly attributed to the volcanic rocks that are found all over the district,” according to the Nyundo Health Center Director, Theophile Nitegeka.
Theophile Nitegeka.
“Bringing this service here has been very helpful in reducing the disease burden which had been neglected and its patients equally neglected on treatment and knowledge about the disease,” Nitegeka said
This is one of the only 11 health centres in the country that provide the service and the demand for such services remains a need according to RBC.
Some people in Rubavu District say the availability of treatment has enabled them to overcome the stigma of being called ‘Kidido’, ‘Kiguru’, names connoting how bad their legs may be.
Dative Mukamana, 67, is one of the recovering patients, who caught the disease at 40 and says she had for the last 22 years only known discrimination, loss of dignity in society and failure to earn a living as a result of the disease.
“It took me long to realize what I was suffering from and I used a lot of money at the local herbalists until one day I heard an announcement at Nyundo diocese asking all people with swollen legs to seek medical services at our health centre,” Mukamana said.
All patients who come from all over the 12 sectors in Rubavu, meet up every Friday for treatment which can take up to three years to show visible effect.
Podoconiosis patients in Nyundo
Primitive Tuyishime, the chairperson of the association of Podoconiosis patients in Nyundo said that they formed income-generating activities to further improve their social welfare.
“We already have a savings fund where each one contributes Rwf100 per week. We want to start income-generating activities such as raring chicken, hairdressing, and the like,” Tuyishime said.
Primitive Tuyishime, seeks support to start income generation activities for the association of Podoconiosis patients in Nyundo
RBC says that the disease is one of the neglected tropical diseases but can be cured if treated properly and in time, calling upon the masses to not stigmatize the victims.
Statistics show that 6,429 people are suffering from this disease across the country with 68.5 prevalence per 100,000 persons.
In Rubavu alone there are over 176 patients, of whom 105 of them are under treatment and 66 of them have been fully cured.
Dr. Ladislas Nshimiyimana, the NTDs Program Manager at RBC says that the government already has plans to add more seven health centres to the existing number of facilities where the service can be acquired but also increase human capacity to treat the disease.
