A recent Christianity Today article introduced me to a disease called podoconiosis, or podo for short. The article says that those who suffer with it have deformed, "nightmare feet, seeming to bubble and melt, producing unbearable odors" and making it painful to walk. For years there was no medical treatment for podo, leaving sufferers isolated from others and unable to contribute to community life.
So how does someone contract podo? The article says "By and large, those who cannot afford shoes are most susceptible. Podo is almost unknown in urban areas and rarely if ever infects soldiers or tourists. Gail Davey, the leading researcher on podo, puts it succinctly: 'It is clearly a disease of the most voiceless.'" Awful!!
My heart breaks to hear that Ethiopia is one of the most affected areas, with about 1 million people suffering from podo. I'm stunned to find out that prevention is as simple as wearing shoes. And equally surprised that treatment is as simple as washing patients' feet. But those two things are hard to come by in a poverty stricken place like Ethiopia.
Want to learn more about the problem and how you can help? Check out the article!
June 1, 2011
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Wow, I have never heard of this before.. thank you so much for bringing this issue to light!
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