ACTIVITY ONE: HWD/HI/01/2022
BURULI ULCER & FLESH EATING DISEASE:
During an activity implementation in on Ra’ayin Kowa Project in Gujba LGA, Hope Interactive (HI) came across patients with suspected cases of Buruli Ulcer. The Ra’ayin Kowa project focuses on inclusion of marginalized persons in peace building process in the community, which utilizes an intersectional approach to peace programming. These suspected patients are being marginalized in the community as such, not carried along in decision making, peace building process and are sometimes stigmatized. Hope interactive conducted several sensitization sessions across Railway and Kasatchia communities to curb the spread of the pathogenic organism and to roll back the myth and superstitious beliefs around the disease. HI health and WASH department further encouraged the community members to visit the nearby hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment after discussing with the Principal Medical Officer (PMO). The ailment is suspected to be Buruli Ulcer caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans and Flesh eating disease caused by Necrotizing fasciitis found mostly in about 33 countries with tropical, subtropical and temperate climates in Africa, south America and west pacific regions, which causes ulcers on the skin and sometimes affects the bones, causing permanent disfiguring. People with weak immune system are at greater risk, especially people living with HIV/AIDS. It is a chronic debilitating disease whose mode of transmission and prevention is not known with records showing few hundreds of cases annually in Nigeria (WHO 2023). It starts as a painless swelling of the affected area, usually the upper or lower limbs (Hands or legs). Rate of spread is very fast with over sixty (60) cases reported and six (6) mortality cases recorded as at June 2022 in Gujba LGA with others identified in Potiskum LGA.
These infected persons have been suffering for months or years and usually believe it is called Harbin-Jeji in Hausa language translated as jungle-sting, and only attempt traditional cure because there is a wide belief that it cannot be cured medically; it can be spiritually contracted and it is also zoonotic. So many people think it is a consort of cancer.
During this assessment majority of persons contacted were men but there is also a large number of women suffering from this ailment which to some it appeared on sensitive body part and others couldn’t be accessed due to some cultural injunctions which prohibits women from coming out. Most patients are facing one form of stigma or the other.
“I contracted this ailment two years ago when a heavy metal fell on my leg. Gradually, it began to occupy a larger area with pain and deep wounds. I was advised not to go to the hospital and was told that it was cancer. I began self-treatment with local herbs but to no avail, presently I am in pains and still not convinced to go the hospital”. H.S. Buni Yadi:
While working on my farm one faithful day, I came across a sharp tree trunk which pierce my skin and caused a wound on my leg. I couldn’t go to the hospital because I was warned not to, I started treating it traditionally with local herbs. As days pass by, the wound began to get deeper and all the people around me left me haplessly in this condition. I later want to an herbalist and spent time with him. He convinced me that it was a spiritual attack and I believed him” B.M. Buni Yadi
Referral
Hope Interactive played significant roles in identifying the suspected Buruli Ulcer ailment and took part in several sensitizations across different communities. The case was referred Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF), Federal Ministry of Health, Yobe State Ministry of Health fr help but all to no avail. A presentation was also conducted at Yobe State Emergency Operational Center (YSEOC) during Health Sector Meeting which was chaired by the Director, Yobe state Primary Health care and other stakeholders. However no action was taken due to the Emergency response to Cholera cases in some parts of the state, knowing well that the YSEOC could not afford to hold two different emergencies on two fronts.
Publication
Hope Interactive Health/ Wash sector submitted a publication to International Society for Infectious disease titled: Buruli Ulcer: A menace in North-Eastern Nigeria and also registered with Epicore.
BURULI ULCER & FLESH EATING DISEASE:
During an activity implementation in on Ra’ayin Kowa Project in Gujba LGA, Hope Interactive (HI) came across patients with suspected cases of Buruli Ulcer. The Ra’ayin Kowa project focuses on inclusion of marginalized persons in peace building process in the community, which utilizes an intersectional approach to peace programming. These suspected patients are being marginalized in the community as such, not carried along in decision making, peace building process and are sometimes stigmatized. Hope interactive conducted several sensitization sessions across Railway and Kasatchia communities to curb the spread of the pathogenic organism and to roll back the myth and superstitious beliefs around the disease. HI health and WASH department further encouraged the community members to visit the nearby hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment after discussing with the Principal Medical Officer (PMO). The ailment is suspected to be Buruli Ulcer caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans and Flesh eating disease caused by Necrotizing fasciitis found mostly in about 33 countries with tropical, subtropical and temperate climates in Africa, south America and west pacific regions, which causes ulcers on the skin and sometimes affects the bones, causing permanent disfiguring. People with weak immune system are at greater risk, especially people living with HIV/AIDS. It is a chronic debilitating disease whose mode of transmission and prevention is not known with records showing few hundreds of cases annually in Nigeria (WHO 2023). It starts as a painless swelling of the affected area, usually the upper or lower limbs (Hands or legs). Rate of spread is very fast with over sixty (60) cases reported and six (6) mortality cases recorded as at June 2022 in Gujba LGA with others identified in Potiskum LGA.
These infected persons have been suffering for months or years and usually believe it is called Harbin-Jeji in Hausa language translated as jungle-sting, and only attempt traditional cure because there is a wide belief that it cannot be cured medically; it can be spiritually contracted and it is also zoonotic. So many people think it is a consort of cancer.
During this assessment majority of persons contacted were men but there is also a large number of women suffering from this ailment which to some it appeared on sensitive body part and others couldn’t be accessed due to some cultural injunctions which prohibits women from coming out. Most patients are facing one form of stigma or the other.
“I contracted this ailment two years ago when a heavy metal fell on my leg. Gradually, it began to occupy a larger area with pain and deep wounds. I was advised not to go to the hospital and was told that it was cancer. I began self-treatment with local herbs but to no avail, presently I am in pains and still not convinced to go the hospital”. H.S. Buni Yadi:
While working on my farm one faithful day, I came across a sharp tree trunk which pierce my skin and caused a wound on my leg. I couldn’t go to the hospital because I was warned not to, I started treating it traditionally with local herbs. As days pass by, the wound began to get deeper and all the people around me left me haplessly in this condition. I later want to an herbalist and spent time with him. He convinced me that it was a spiritual attack and I believed him” B.M. Buni Yadi
Referral
Hope Interactive played significant roles in identifying the suspected Buruli Ulcer ailment and took part in several sensitizations across different communities. The case was referred Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF), Federal Ministry of Health, Yobe State Ministry of Health fr help but all to no avail. A presentation was also conducted at Yobe State Emergency Operational Center (YSEOC) during Health Sector Meeting which was chaired by the Director, Yobe state Primary Health care and other stakeholders. However no action was taken due to the Emergency response to Cholera cases in some parts of the state, knowing well that the YSEOC could not afford to hold two different emergencies on two fronts.
Publication
Hope Interactive Health/ Wash sector submitted a publication to International Society for Infectious disease titled: Buruli Ulcer: A menace in North-Eastern Nigeria and also registered with Epicore.