MAP International Works to Rid Cote d’Ivoire of Buruli Ulcer Disease

Cote d’Ivoire is a developing nation of 18.9 million people in western Africa. A five-year armed conflict, which ended in 2007, has significantly reduced social support systems and healthcare in the country.

 

The country has reported more than 22,000 cases of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease that destroys the skin and, if left untreated, will damage the bone, as well. The disease usually appears on the arms or legs, often causing deformities, disabilities and other permanent damage. In extreme cases, the limbs may have to be amputated. The blister begins as a small lump akin to a bug bite, and because it is generally painless, affected persons tend to delay medical care for months. Named for a region of Uganda where the disease was prevalent in the 1960s, today Buruli ulcer is found in more than 30 countries with tropical and subtropical climates. The disease is particularly widespread in Cote d’Ivoire, which has more cases than any other country in the world.

 

People seriously affected by the disease often face long hospital stays of two to three months, keeping adults out of work and unable to provide for their families. The typical cost of treatment, which can exceed $400 a month, is also economically devastating in a region where many people live on less than $2 a day.

For four years, MAP International has played an instrumental role in the effort to rid Cote d’Ivoire of this debilitating disease. MAP seeks to improve the quality of life for people affected by Buruli ulcer in seven health districts of Cote d’Ivoire. From its office in Abidjan, MAP has launched numerous health campaigns throughout the country to educate people about measures they may use to avoid, recognize and treat the disease.

 

MAP’s program provides ongoing specialized Buruli ulcer training to community health workers and other healthcare professionals. MAP supplies hospitals and clinics with millions of dollars in antibiotics, wound dressing material and other medical supplies and medical equipment to help diagnose and treat the disease. MAP has also established and constructed multiple health facilities, such as a Buruli ulcer wing at the University Hospital of Treichville, in Abidjan, and a Buruli ulcer ward at the district hospital in the city of Taabo. MAP has also developed training manuals and similar educational tools for healthcare providers.

 

MAP has implemented its Buruli ulcer control program in conjunction with Cote d’Ivoire’s National Program for Buruli Ulcer Control, The Leprosy Mission Ireland, American Leprosy Mission, and various pharmaceutical companies.

 

Founded in 1954 as Medical Assistance Programs, today MAP International is a leading nonprofit relief and development agency that provides healthcare for people in more than 115 countries plagued by war, natural disaster, disease and poverty. MAP works with more than 100 major relief agencies and pharmaceutical companies in the world’s poorest communities to provide essential medicines, promote community health development, and prevent and mitigate disease, disaster and other health threats. Each year, MAP distributes approximately $300 million in medicines and medical supplies to more than 25 million people across the globe. MAP also operates health clinics and community-based healthcare programs throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas. Since its inception, MAP has provided more than $3 billion in medicines to people in some of the world’s poorest areas.