IN the heart of Kenya’s Turkana County, Joyce Lokonyi embodies the struggle against mycetoma, a devastating disease that has claimed her foot and left her marginalized. This fungal infection, often entering through minor wounds, leads to severe tissue erosion and, ultimately, amputation when it reaches the bone.
Joyce, now 28, recalls the isolation she faced after her amputation, as community members feared contamination. “They said I would leave tracesof the disease wherever I went,” she lamented.
Turkana, where 70 per cent of the population lives in poverty, lacks adequate healthcare, making mycetoma a silent epidemic. Recognized as a neglected disease by the World Health Organization only in 2016, it remains poorly understood, with many doctors unaware of its symptoms.
Local health facilities, like Lodwar Hospital, see cases regularly, yet treatment is costly and often inaccessible for subsistence farmers.
Lab technician John Ekai, who has treated over 100 mycetoma patients, expresses concern for those who vanish into the arid landscape, their conditions worsening without care.
Young mother Jennifer Ekal, living with the disease since age 11, fears for her future despite ongoing treatment. “I do not want to think about the worst,” she confides, reflecting the uncertainty that haunts many in her community.
AFP
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