Challenge achieved! We close Giving Tuesday with €16,350 to treat schistosomiasis

Last November, from the Fight Infections Foundation we started a campaign to raise awareness and raise funds for schistosomiasis, a forgotten and neglected disease that, if not diagnosed in time, can cause very serious problems.

Taking advantage of the global Giving Tuesday movement, Dr. Silvia Roure and her patient Emebet proposed a challenge: raise €16,000 to detect, treat and cure 200 people with schistosomiasis. With the collaboration of more than 120 supportive people, we have managed to exceed the initial appeal and raise €16,350.

With this money we will be able to screen more than 200 people through blood tests and treat them. This action is very important because if the infection is detected in time, the treatment is 90% effective.

A forgotten disease

Schistosomiasis is one of the world’s leading neglected infections according to the World Health Organization. It is acquired mainly in sub-Saharan African countries when the person comes into contact with the water of rivers or lakes infected by the parasite that causes the disease. This parasite penetrates through the skin and can live in the person’s body for years and create serious problems that worsen their quality of life. In fact, it can cause problems as serious as kidney failure, bladder cancer, liver cirrhosis, infertility or stroke.

According to our estimates, 30,000 infected people could live in Catalonia without knowing it. At that time, 40% of the population studied had tested positive for schistosomiasis.