Welcome to Footwork

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Footwork is a project of the US-based Social Good Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity. It brings together public and private partners to support prevention and treatment of podoconiosis. Footwork encourages integration of podoconiosis control into efforts to eliminate other Neglected Tropical Diseases, and works with those active in other related diseases of the foot.

Our shared goal is to eliminate podoconiosis.

Read the Stepping out of Neglect 2021-2025 Strategy.

What is podo?

Podoconiosis (or simply ‘podo’) is a form of elephantiasis or swelling of the lower leg triggered by prolonged exposure to irritant minerals in red clay soils. There is no infectious or contagious agent: no parasite, no bacterium, no virus is involved. It was classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organization in 2011.

An estimated 4 million people in highland tropical Africa are affected with podoconiosis, and evidence suggests widespread endemicity in more than 15 countries throughout the world.

Although the disease is both preventable (by avoiding contact with irritant soil) and treatable (through simple, inexpensive foot hygiene and protection), there are as yet no government-backed assistance programs for addressing prevention and treatment of podoconiosis.

Individuals afflicted with podoconiosis suffer debilitating physical effects, including attacks when the leg becomes warm, painful and even more swollen, and are ostracised from their communities because of misconceptions about the cause of podoconiosis.

Map showing countries of the world affected by podoconiosis

where is it found?

Podoconiosis has been described in at least 15 countries in the tropics in Africa, central America and Asia. These countries share a volcanic history, and the disease is primarily found in remote rural areas where subsistence farmers typically work in the fields barefoot. In Africa, podoconiosis has been documented in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, and the islands of Cape Verde, Bioko, Sao Tome & Principe. Footwork is eager to find partners who will help us validate and document podoconiosis in central America and Asia.

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