The Lancet is featuring a photostory on a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that brings pain and disability to millions of people in some of the world’s poorest countries.
‘Picturing health: podoconiosis—stepping out of neglect’ features photographs of this disabling foot and leg condition by Dr Alex Kumar, a medical doctor and international photojournalist. Dr Kumar visited a remote health centre in Mirab Gojjam, a rural area in northern Ethiopia last year with a team from Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS).
A form of elephantiasis, podoconiosis (podo) is found among communities working and living on the volcanic soils of highland areas of tropical Africa, Central America and Asia. It largely affects subsistence farmers who work barefoot, and brings widespread social stigma. However, it could be prevented by simple interventions such as foot washing and wearing shoes.
Gail Davey, Professor of Global Health Epidemiology at BSMS and podoconiosis expert, said: “Podoconiosis—stepping out of neglect’ really captures the reality of living with this disabling condition, and the work our partners are doing to prevent and treat it. By raising awareness of podoconiosis, we hope that those working in health around the world can put the right interventions in place to eliminate podo within our lifetime.”
The photos are currently being exhibited in Liverpool at the European Congress of Tropical Medicine and International Health and the NTD NGO Network conference. They will later be exhibited at BSMS.
The photostory can be found here >
All photos by Alexander Kumar (c) 2018.