Impact of common skin diseases on children in rural Côte d’Ivoire with leprosy and Buruli ulcer co-endemicity: A mixed methods study

Yotsu, Rie Roselyne; Comoé, Colombe Coffie; Ainyakou, Germaine Taïba; Konan, N’guessan; Akpa, Amari Jules; Yao, Aubin; Aké, Julien; Vagamon, Bamba; Abbet, Rigobert Abbet; Bedimo, Roger; Hay, Roderick J.

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0008291

Cited by 13 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(47 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a study conducted in West Africa, a modified Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index Questionnaire was used and Focused Group Discussions were conducted to investigate the impact of common skin diseases on school children. Social relationships were often affected, wherein children having skin diseases were mocked, rejected or isolated causing affective changes as well as behavioral changes, such as isolation, self-restraint and self-stigma [ 30 ]. Our study revealed that the economic effect of yaws was another obvious difference between the two groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigma, psychosocial and economic effects of yaws in the Philippines: an exploratory, qualitative study

Dofitas

Kalim²,

Toledo³

et al. 2022

Trop Med Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Yaws is a chronic, non-venereal, highly contagious skin and bone infection affecting children living in impoverished, remote communities and caused by Treponema pallidum subspecie pertenue. Social stigma and economic losses due to yaws have been reported anecdotally in the Southern Philippines but have not been well-documented. Objective To describe and compare the psychological, social, and economic effects of yaws from the perspective of patients, contacts, and key informants in two areas of the Philippines. Materials and methods Yaws and contacts were identified through clinicoseroprevalence surveys conducted in the Liguasan Marsh area, Mindanao, Southern Philippines in 2017 and among the Aetas, an indigenous people community in Quezon province, Luzon region in 2020. Skin examinations and serologic tests confirmed the diagnosis of active, latent, or past yaws among the children and adults. Trained health personnel conducted in-depth interviews of those affected by yaws and their guardians, household contacts, and key informants, such as health workers regarding their perceptions, feelings, health-seeking behaviors, and effects of yaws on their lives. Results A total of 26 participants were interviewed: 17 from Mindanao and 9 from Luzon. Aside from the physical discomforts and embarrassment, yaws was considered stigmatizing in Mindanao, because positive non-treponemal tests or treponemal antibody tests were associated with syphilis and promiscuity. These have led to loss of employment and income opportunities for adults with latent or past yaws. In contrast, the Aetas of Luzon did not perceive yaws as stigmatizing, because it was a common skin problem. Plantar yaws interfered with the Aeta’s gold panning livelihood due to the pain of wounds. Conclusions Yaws is not merely a chronic skin and bone disease. It can lead to significant psychosocial and economic problems as well. Yaws is a generally forgotten disease in the Philippines. There is no yaws surveillance and control program. Treatments are not readily available for the populations affected, thus perpetuating the infection and negative effects. Significance of study This is the first study to document the psychosocial and economic effects of yaws among Filipinos. Information campaigns about yaws and a yaws control program are needed to reduce stigma and discrimination.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigma, psychosocial and economic effects of yaws in the Philippines: an exploratory, qualitative study

Dofitas

Kalim²,

Toledo³

et al. 2022

Trop Med Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These are usually circular in shape with numerous broken-off hairs as well as fine scaling, which characteristic features also observed in our cases [ 1 , 14 ]. Unlike M. canis or M. gypseum infections, there is usually no pruritus [ 1 , 14 ], which might in part account for the lack of requests for medical attention [ 5 ], and likelihood of spreading the disease from untreated cases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is most prevalent in children in developing countries, affecting mostly persons of low socio-economic status [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. However, the reported prevalence is likely an underestimation as the conditions are often neglected or ignored due to the non-fatal nature compared to other health issues prevalent in settings where they are endemic [ 5 ]. There is also a paucity of laboratories capable of performing mycological examinations, so diagnostic confirmation is rarely done [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tinea Capitis Caused by Microsporum audouninii: A Report of Two Cases from Côte D’Ivoire, West Africa

Yotsu

Kouadio

Yao³

et al. 2021

TropicalMed

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report here two cases of tinea capitis caused by Microsporum (M.) audouinii in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. The patients were a three-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl who presented with scaly patches on the scalp. The causative fungus was isolated using an adhesive tape-sampling method and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar plates. It was identified as M. audouinii both by its macroscopic and microscopic features, confirmed by DNA sequencing. These are the first documented cases of M. audouinii infections confirmed with DNA sequencing to be reported from Côte d’Ivoire. The practicality of the tape-sampling method makes it possible to carry out epidemiological surveys evaluating the distribution of these dermatophytic infections in remote, resource-limited settings.

show abstract

“…The prevalence of skin diseases is high in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in children, and the reported prevalence ranges from 23.3% to as high as 80.4% in this age group [ 1 - 7 ]. These diseases are most often overlooked due to a lack of local specialists and lack of experience among Western specialists looking at darker skin [ 8 ]. However, if left untreated, even some of the most common skin diseases could have severe complications (eg, scabies could lead to rheumatic fever and nephropathy, as well as often debilitating physical, social, and mental effects that may deprive one of educational and social opportunities [ 9 , 10 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Early Detection and Case Management of Skin Diseases With an mHealth App (eSkinHealth): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Pilot Study in Côte d’Ivoire

Yotsu¹,

Itoh²,

Yao³

et al. 2022

JMIR Res Protoc

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background There is a high prevalence of skin diseases sub-Saharan Africa, including skin neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that could lead to lifelong disabilities and deformities if not diagnosed and treated early. To achieve early detection and early treatment of these skin diseases, we developed a mobile health app, eSkinHealth. Objective This paper outlines a protocol for evaluating the effect of our eSkinHealth app in the early detection and effective management of skin diseases in Côte d’Ivoire. Methods A mixed methods pilot trial will be conducted in Côte d’Ivoire and will consist of 3 phases: (1) the development and improvement of the eSkinHealth app, (2) a pilot trial to evaluate the usability of the eSkinHealth app for local medical staff in Côte d’Ivoire, and (3) a pilot trial to evaluate the effectiveness of early detection and case management of targeted skin NTDs (Buruli ulcer, leprosy, yaws, and lymphatic filariasis) with the eSkinHealth app in Côte d’Ivoire. The pilot study will be implemented as a 2-arm trial with local health care providers and patients with skin NTDs over a 3-month follow-up period. The local health care providers will be assigned to an intervention group receiving the eSkinHealth app to be used in their daily practices or a control group. Training will be provided on the use and implementation of the app and the diagnostic pipeline to the intervention group only, while both groups will receive training on skin diseases. Our primary outcome is to evaluate the early detection and effective management of skin diseases using the eSkinHealth app in Côte d’Ivoire by the number of cases diagnosed and managed. Additionally, we will evaluate the eSkinHealth app with validated questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Procedures of our methods have been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Ministry of Health, Côte d’Ivoire and by Tulane University in 2021. Results This study was funded in 2021. We started the enrollment of patients in February 2022, and data collection is currently underway. We expect the first results to be submitted for publication in 2023. Conclusions Our eSkinHealth app is a field-adapted platform that could provide both direct diagnostic and management assistance to health workers in remote settings. The study will provide evidence for the usability and the effectiveness of the eSkinHealth app to improve the early detection and case management of skin NTDs in Côte d’Ivoire and, furthermore, is expected to contribute to knowledge on mobile health approaches in the control of skin NTDs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05300399; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT05300399 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/39867

show abstract

Impact of common skin diseases on children in rural Côte d’Ivoire with leprosy and Buruli ulcer co-endemicity: A mixed methods study

Cited by 13 publications

References 34 publications

Stigma, psychosocial and economic effects of yaws in the Philippines: an exploratory, qualitative study

Stigma, psychosocial and economic effects of yaws in the Philippines: an exploratory, qualitative study

Tinea Capitis Caused by Microsporum audouninii: A Report of Two Cases from Côte D’Ivoire, West Africa

The Early Detection and Case Management of Skin Diseases With an mHealth App (eSkinHealth): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Pilot Study in Côte d’Ivoire

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About