Health awareness'25 - TBL Supervisor says early detection, correct information key to reducing burden of Buruli Ulcer in rural communities

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The Health Supervisor in-charge of Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy (TBL) in Awka North, under the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Mrs. Celestina Igwe, has stressed that early detection and accurate information are crucial to reducing the growing burden of Buruli Ulcer in rural communities.

Mrs. Igwe made this known during the Awba-Ofemili Community Health Awareness Campaign held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 (Nkwo Market Day) at the Civic Centre, Awba-Ofemili, themed “Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee or Ulee-Okpa): Know the Signs, Stop the Spread.”

Awba-Ofemili intensifies community health drive against Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee) - ITREALMS

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The Awba-Ofemili Development Union (ADU) Health Committee, in collaboration with the Office of the President-General, ADU, the Nigerian Red Cross Society (Anambra State Branch), Awba-Ofemili Health Volunteers Team (AHVT) and the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), is set to host the Awba-Ofemili Community Health Awareness Campaign 2025 with the theme: “Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee): Know the Signs, Stop the Spread,” reports ITREALMS.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025 (Nkwo Market Day) at the Civic Centre, Awba-Ofemili, seeks to raise public awareness about Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee), a neglected tropical disease that affects the skin and soft tissues, while promoting early detection, prevention, and improved hygiene practices within the community.

Elu-ulee: What riverine and rural Nigerians must know about Buruli Ulcer by Remmy Nweke - ITREALMS

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Neglected tropical disease:
In parts of Igboland, villagers whisper about elu-ulee, a strange sore that eats into the leg without causing pain. In Ogbaru’s riverine farmlands, it is called acha-ere or enyi ule. Among the Yoruba of Ogun State, it is feared as olobutu or egbo adaijina. Doctors know it as Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. 

Though often overlooked in Nigeria’s health debates, it silently threatens rural and riverine families, where swamps, rice paddies, and riverbanks make perfect breeding grounds.