The State-of-the arts of Elephantiasis in East African countries

Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis are the two major types of elephantiasis living in the lymphatic system. Both generally cause extreme swelling of the extremities and genitals of the patient. It is estimated that 4 million people are affected by podoconiosis worldwide and 5 to 10% of the population in endemic area. The Podoconiosis patients are not only physically disabled, but also suffer from mental, social and financial losses contributing to the stigma and poverty. Currently, 947 million people in 54 countries are living in areas that require preventive chemotherapy to stop the spread of infections. The results of the first phase of this study show 100% podoconiosis. Females are more affected than males with a prevalence of 68.1% and 31.1%, respectively. A high prevalence of podoconiosis was observed among aged Illiterate patients (¿60 years) and farmers patients are the most affected. Rugarama and Kinoni sectors rural and volcanic areas were the most affected among assessed sectors. This evidenced that the Podoconiosis can be associated to the volcanic soil associated with the hygienic behavior.