Bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, is a waterborne acute and chronic disease caused by a parasitic worm.
It is transmissible when people suffering from the disease contaminate freshwater sources with their excreta.
In the past one year, Mr Katana Charo, 24, and his five siblings have been battling bilharzia, which has manifested itself through itching and pain on the back.
“My condition worsened when I started spotting blood while peeing,” the father of one told Healthy Nation during a visit at his home in Darajani village, Kilifi County.
The fisherman said the majority of his peers who depend on fishing for their livelihoods are grappling with the disease. “This is because after healing we go back to River Ndzovuni to fish, where we get infected again. It’s a cycle. We never completely heal. We live with it.”
