JICA Grass-root project

[Project Title]
Sustainable tungiasis control project in Homa Bay County, Kenya

[What is Tungiasis (commonly known as Jiggers)]
Tungiasis is a zoonotic parasitic skin disease caused by a sand flea that lives in sandy soil and around animal sheds. The disease can cause pain, deformity of the affected area, difficulty walking, and in the worst case, even death due to secondary infection. It is designated as a “Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD)” by the WHO, and is one of the diseases for which countermeasures are urgently needed. On the other hand, it can be prevented by improving understanding of the disease, changing behaviour and improving the living environment, and it is highly curable with appropriate treatment.

Compared to other infectious diseases in Kenya, there is inadequate control of tungiasis, and underdiagnosis and underreporting are challenges.

[Project Objective and Outline]
This project targets the vulnerable population in the 2 sub-counties in Homa Bay county.
It aims to reduce the number of tungiasis patients through a series of community training, among other educational activities. 

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