Happy feet: Understanding the prevalence of podoconiosis and associated risk factors in Sodo Zuria and Offa districts, southern Ethiopia

Authors: Tedila Habte, Hannah Edwards, Helen Hawkings, Esey Batisso, Oluwafunmilayo Ogundeko-Olugbami

Podoconiosis disproportionately affects women and low-income groups in Ethiopia. Improving access to footwear and promoting treatment-seeking behaviour is needed to prevent the disease.

Podoconiosis is non-infectious lymphoedema caused by barefoot exposure to irritant volcanic red clay soil. Ethiopia accounts for the world’s highest burden of podoconiosis, with approximately 1.5 million people living with the disease. However, reliable data on prevalence and risk factors associated with podoconiosis are limited, which presents several challenges for national control programmes. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of podoconiosis in two districts of southern Ethiopia.

This poster was presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH).