Heart and Sole Africa provides free health services to those affected by podoconiosis. WHAT IS PODOCONIOSIS? Podoconiosis, meaning "dusty feet" is a non-infectious tropical disease. Also know as non-filarial elephantiasis, podoconiosis is a chronic condition that causes an asymmetrical swelling of the feet and lower legs. This swelling may lead to severe disability of the patient. Symptoms may include severe fatigue, a heavy swollen limb, discoloration of the skin, disfiguring nodule growth on the toes and feet. Podoconiosis affects 4 million people worldwide, and it is endemic in areas of tropical Africa, Central and South America and northwest India. In the Northern Province of Rwanda, the contraction of podoconiosis is caused by chronic exosure to high concentrations of silica found in the volcanic soil originating from the Virunga mountains. Many with podoconiosis in this region are subsistence farmers, and they work in their fields barefoot, therefore experiencing frequent exposure to the siica in the soil. There is currently no up-to-date data about Podoconiosis in Rwanda, but a study entitled "Endemic Elephantiasis of the Lower Legs in Rwanda and Burundi" conducted by Tropical and Geological Medicine in 1975, reported a prevalence of 7.10 per 1000 of lower leg elephantiasis in areas in Rwanda where alkali clay soils coexist with high altitude, high seasonal rainfall and low income. Footwork, the International Podoconiosis Initiative, is currently embarking on a research project that will map podoconiosis patients throughout Rwanda. Heart and Sole Africa will assist with this research. ABOUT RWANDA
Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills" and "The Heart of Africa", Rwanda is a small, mountainous country in East Africa bordering Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and The Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda is home to more than 11 million people, making it the most densely populated country in Africa. Rwanda is primarily an economy of subsistence farmers but continues to take steps to shift forward to a knowledge based economy. Although international dialogue often recounts the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has embarked on a steady trajectory of growth, reconciliation, peace, and promise throughout the past decade. Heart and Sole Africa's main office is located in Musanze. This area was previously known as Ruhengeri, and it lies in the middle of the famous of Virunga Mountain Range. The mountains, Karisimbi, Visoke, Mgahinga, Muhavura, and Nyirahongo are visible on the horizon daily as the Heart and Sole Africa team works diligently to help those in need. Satellite clinics exist in Kinoni and Nyange. Podoconiosis is a disease that manifests in this region because of its unique topography. Silica deposits filter up into the soil in these volcanic regions. In this predominantly agrarian economy, this has a profound impact. In a country where the doctor to patient ratio exceeds one to 16,046, there lacks specialized healthcare providers. Heart and Sole Africa operates all throughout remote regions in the Northern Province, even extending across the border into Uganda.
