Neglected diseases: Tanzania’s fight against a silent threat

A community drug distributor delivers medicine to a Tanzanian family to help prevent lymphatic filariasis (LF) infection.

Photo credit: Pool

At only 27 years old, Shabanni Ramadhan noticed something unusual. A small swelling in his scrotum. At first, he brushed it aside. It seemed like just another benign swelling. And like many men his age, he was busy working to provide for his fledgling family, and the thought of seeking medical care was overshadowed by one stark reality: he had no money.

But what had begun as a minor discomfort grew steadily. Within a few years, the swelling became painful, especially during cold weather.