Picture taken by THEMBA MASEKO
42 year old Jimmy Mgqwashu from Bluegum View, South Africa has been living in agony for over 25 years after his left leg became infected with elephantiasis in 1985. According to Mgqwashu, he was on a trip to fetch wood in nearby mountains when a small cut from loose barbed wire along the way began to swell a few days later. At first, it just appeared to be a bad cut so he was prescribed an anodyne. According to Mgqwashu, not long after he went to the clinic, his leg grew bigger. Unfortunately, the clinic nearby was not prepared to treat his illness. He says:
[i]n 1987 I went to Paul Kruger Hospital in Rustenburg to get some help. The doctors told me that I had elephantiasis and they couldn’t treat this condition because it needed a specialist.
Mgqwashu’s experience is not singular. Sadly, millions of people around the world with,for example, poor access to healthcare, low-incomes, or who live in rural, hard to access settings have a difficult time acquiring live saving health services to prevent and treat ailments.
Mgqwashu explains that “[his] leg is really heavy and [that he] can barely walk. [Since the infection has grown, his] future has been bleak since then.” These sentiments represent another issue many people like Jimmy face after falling ill; their work productivity drops significantly which has a devastating impact on their disposable income and social participation in the community. One topic that isn’t discussed enough is the impact of elephantiasis on the afflicted man or woman’s sexual health and wellness. Mgqwachu points out that “[he doesn't] even have a wife and all the women run away because they think that [he] might leave them with this disease. [He is] a man and [he] needs to satisfy [his] libido.” Because acute elephatiasis, clincally referred to as lymphatic filariasis, is an inflammation of the skin, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels. According to WHO
When lymphatic filariasis develops into chronic conditions, it leads to lymphoedema (tissue swelling) or elephantiasis (skin/tissue thickening) of limbs and hydrocele (fluid accumulation). Involvement of breasts and genital organs is common. Such body deformities lead to social stigma, as well as financial hardship from loss of income and increased medical expenses. The socioeconomic burdens of isolation and poverty are immense.
Thankfully, the CEO of Pholosong Hospital, Sfiso Maseko, picked up Mgqwashu’s story and assures him that “there is a treatment for this condition.” He encourages Mgqwashu to “bring the papers he was given including the file number so that [he] can provide treatment for his leg.”
