I was asked by George Collins and Tom McLeod from University College London to produce a medical information poster to spread the awareness of how to stop the unpleasant and painful effects of the “Jigger Flea“; a skin parasite found in tropical climates (also known as the ‘Chigoe Flea’ or ‘Sand Flea’).

‘The aim of the project is to bring to the attention of rural communities in north-west Cameroon four simple interventions that will help to reduce the impact of the Jigger Flea.’

The Jigger Flea is a ground dwelling parasite that plagues the rural people of Cameroon. The female flea embeds under the skin of the villagers, generally of the feet and hands, and grows to the size of a pea. As it does so it leaves the skin open to infection, and can lead to bacterial disease and tetanus. In addition, the affected individual will experience severe pain and itching leading to insomnia, difficulty in walking, and reduced quality of life. For the poverty stricken inhabitants of Cameroon, this is an unnecessary burden; an obstacle that is so easily removed.

George and Tom researched into the prevalence of Tungiasis, an infestation of the “Jigger Flea”, in the Ndu region of North-West Cameroon, with a view to publish a journal article. You can read up on their story at their Blogspot here.

The prints will initially consist of 500 A3 posters and 1500 A4 posters with the likelihood of future reprints.

We are now moving forward to the challenge of distribution through churches, schools and medical centres in Northern Cameroon.

The region is English speaking and with the literacy rate in the study area to be 64%, the illiterate are the worst affected so it was vital to ensure the simple illustrations were clear and easy to understand.

Here are some existing examples of information posters used in the region.

Many thanks to Mark Collins, the Commonwealth Foundation, Royal Geographic Society, Yaounde Initiative Foundation and the Cameroon Association of Young Scientists for their backing and support with the poster. I will update in future posts with the progress of the campaign.

The project article “Fons, Feasts and Fleas” will be published in the September issue of Geographical Magazine.

Rich.