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A burden for individuals and the health system |
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«The serious symptoms caused by Buruli ulcer include functional disabilities resulting in permanent social, economic and developmental problems in the countries affected by this disease, particularly in Africa.»
Prof. Françoise Portaels, Belgium
Those infected with the disease not only have to cope with its physical and mental effects; the costs associated with it often exceed their budgets and those of their families.
In those areas where Buruli is widespread, many people subsist on less than two US dollars a day. Besides the financial strain on individual families, the entire local health system suffers due to the disease’s prevalence. In Ghana, for example, the average cost of treatment is estimated at around 780 dollars. If, however, Buruli ulcer is diagnosed and treated in its infancy, the cost averages out at just 20-30 dollars.
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