Stigma and the Social Burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases

In a village in Uganda where onchocerciasis is endemic, a 25-year-old woman responded to questions about a photograph of a skin lesion presented with the story of a villager suffering from characteristic dermatitis. She described her community's experience as follows: “They are hiding their skin so that people cannot see them. I have not heard of anyone who wants others to know about it. No one will allow them to lead, and many people ignore them. They are considered dangerous. People fear contact with them. I feel sorry for them. Even me, I feared that from staying and meeting them we could get the disease … They find it hard to marry, and marriages can break because of this condition.”