Getahun Alemu|Fasil Tekola?Ayele|Takele Daniel|Christel Ahrens|Gail Davey
Burden of Podoconiosis in Poor Rural Communities in Gulliso woreda, West Ethiopia
Children’s Village|National Human Genome Research Institute|National Institutes of Health|Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau|Brighton and Sussex Medical School
podoconiosis environmental lymphoedema affecting people living working barefoot irritant red clay soil podoconiosis relatively well described southern ethiopia remains neglected parts ethiopian highlands study aimed assess burden podoconiosis rural communities western ethiopiaa crosssectional study conducted gulliso woreda district west ethiopia household survey 26 rural kebeles villages district conducted identify podoconiosis patients measure disease prevalence detailed study done six randomly selected kebeles describe clinical features disease patients experiences foot hygiene shoe wearing practice 1935 cases podoconiosis registered giving prevalence 28 prevalence higher aged 1564 years 52 females males prevalence ratio 261 903 patients 1564 year age group detailed study 335 cases interviewed feet assessed majority patients farmers uneducated poor twothird patients developed disease age thirty almost patients 970 experienced adenolymphangitis ala red hot legs swollen painful groin least previous year patients experienced average 55 ala episodes annually average 44 days thus 24 working days lost annually incidence ala podoconiosis patients higher reported filariasis countries shoe wearing limited mainly due financial problemswe documented high podoconiosis prevalence frequent adenolymphangitis high diseaserelated morbidity west ethiopia interventions must developed prevent treat control podoconiosis one core neglected tropical diseases ethiopia