Paper short abstract:

This article identifies community agents and settings that can be utilized to extend chronic care interventions to control NTDs in LMICs. Anthropological studies can play prominent role in identifying major actors and settings and how social participation can be enhanced among community groups.

Paper long abstract:

Some Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are not suitable for drug therapy but require chronic care to manage their impact. Dealing with the impacts of NTDs requires normative changes and this may not be suitable for individual-level public health campaigns. Anthropological insights consider individuals as agents that are influenced by events within the social environment. Provided little has been done in this regard, we explored the possibility of engaging community actors and settings to promote chronic care for the NTD podoconiosis, a debilitating form of lymphedema. Employing a qualitative approach, we gathered data from patients, community members, local health professionals and traditional healers between April and May 2022 in Northwestern Ethiopia. We further observed community settings. We found that patients, family members, religious leaders, traditional healers, and health professionals have the potential to be extenders of chronic care management in rural areas due to their accurate understanding of podoconiosis, willingness to engage in health interventions and influence on rural residents. Houses, churches, schools, healthcare facilities and traditional healing centres are suitable venues at which to perform chronic care. Strong community solidarity and political will are vital to such interventions, while wrong understanding about chronic conditions, financial constraints, and limited resources at healthcare facilities all pose challenges. Employing community agents and settings has great promise for expanding chronic care and reducing stigma with minimal cost and effort. Changing community norms by utilizing these agents is likely to bring sustainable changes. Anthropological studies are essential to identify culturally appropriate chronic care interventions.