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Patients’ beliefs about illness matter: the case of elephantiasis in rural Ghana

Patients’ beliefs about illness matter: the case of elephantiasis in rural Ghana

WOULD you take medication for an illness you didn’t believe you had? Or if you disagreed with healthcare workers about the cause of your condition? This is the dilemma of many people who live in areas of Ghana where a mosquito-borne disease called lymphatic filariasis, often referred to as elephantiasis, continues to spread. Lymphatic filariasis, or LF as it is commonly known, is a neglected tropical disease which spreads through repeated bites by parasite-carrying mosquitoes. This infection results in the painful and debilitating swelling of legs, arms and genitals, and increases vulnerability to injury and secondary infections. Although little known,…
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Progress against a neglected tropical disease in east Africa is under threat

Progress against a neglected tropical disease in east Africa is under threat

ELEVEN years ago, in the rugged hills of West Pokot County in Kenya, Mary Alamak, a mother of four, fell ill with the parasitic disease kala-azar while she was pregnant. Her weight fell from 80 to 45 kgs in a matter of weeks. She feared for the life of her baby and her own. At the Kacheliba District Hospital, she could get diagnosed, and treated with AmBisome injections. She was cured and regained weight – and her baby was saved. MONIQUE WASUNNA, Researcher, Kenya Medical Research Institute I have met many patients like Mary in my 30-year experience in the…
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