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JK pumps more cash into war on filariasis
2008-04-02 10:41:57
By Patrick Kisembo
President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday announced plans to establish President`s Lymphatic Filariasis Fund to boost the country`s capacity to fight against the preventable disease.
Kikwete made the remarks in a speech he delivered at the opening of the fifth meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in Arusha.
``I am glad to announce that I will establish a President`s Lymphatic Filariasis Fund to buttress efforts to fight the disease,``he said.
And to start with, he announced a commitment of 50m/- to the fund, bringing the amount of money contributed so far to 67m/-.
``This fund will directly benefit lymphatic filariasis patients in this country and will support hydrocele surgery for those who need it,`` he said.
President Kikwete said the fund would also support those who have lymphoedema and elephantiasis.
``For a person who comes from a country and an area that is endemic with lymphatic filariasis, I know how saddening and debilitating the disease can be.
Sadly, the physical disabilities caused by the disease are accompanied by social stigma and economic hardship,``Kikwete said.
He said lymphatic filariasis exerts a heavy social burden in the whole continent of Africa.
``Often times, this gets especially severe because of the specific attributes of the disease, particularly since chronic complications are often hidden and are considered shameful,`` he said.
For men, he said, genital damage was a severe handicap leading to physical limitation and social stigmatisation and for women, shame and ridicule were also associated with the disease.
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