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It begins with bare feet. A silent intruder slips in, lured by the exposed skin. At first, it feels like nothing — a faint itch, a small irritation, easy to ignore. But beneath the surface, it burrows deeper, settles in, and quietly takes control. What seemed insignificant slowly turns painful, inflamed, and disabling. By the time its presence is undeniable, it has already taken hold. And when the intruder is finally discovered, the battle to remove it is rarely gentle. Harsh chemicals are poured onto open skin — burning, stinging, shocking — desperate to force it out. The pain is immediate. The relief, uncertain.
This silent invader has a name: Tungiasis, more commonly known as jiggers. It is a parasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea (Tunga penetrans) burrowing into the skin. It mainly affects children, the elderly, and people with disabilities in marginalised communities across sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Walking becomes agony. Sleep is interrupted by relentless itching and pain. Children withdraw from school and play. Repeated infections can cause deformities, ulcers, nail loss, and chronic disability. Yet, no affordable, safe, and painless standard treatment exists. In desperation, embedded fleas are often removed with unsterilized pins or thorns, risking infections and diseases such as tetanus, HIV, or Hepatitis B. Existing chemical solutions remain harsh and painful.
However, BioInnovate Africa is supporting a project that is Upscaling Novel Bio-rational Products for Controlling Tungiasis in eastern Africa, led by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya; in partnership with Gulu University, Uganda; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO); and AtoZ Group of Companies, Tanzania. The project has developed a safe, easy-to-use, and efficacious product for the treatment of jigger infection. To be marketed as ‘Jigger Gel’, this topical application cures jigger infection without inflicting pain to the user. The product is made from natural sources and identified plants that naturally cure jigger infections.
The project team members including Prof. Maurice Vincent, Prof. Richard Echodu, Dr Paul Mireji, and Dr Michael Okal, recently visited BioInnovate Africa BioVenture Hub. They shared progress in product development and reflected on key milestones. The discussion focused on accelerating the product’s pathway to market, covering regulatory considerations, packaging and branding, market positioning, and strategies for scaling production.
The visit provided guidance on navigating market entry pathways, strengthening compliance documentation, and refining the product’s value proposition. The key next step in project implementation is field trials in Uganda by Gulu University, generating critical data on efficacy to complement those already carried out in Kenya. Once in the market, the Jigger Gel innovation will address a persistent public health challenge affecting vulnerable rural populations in eastern Africa, restoring dignity and improving health outcomes.
L–R: Dr Julius Ecuru, BioInnovate Africa; Dr Paul Mireji, KALRO; Dr Michael Okal, AtoZ Group of Companies; Prof. Maurice Vincent, MMUST; Prof. Richard Echodu, Gulu University; Shira Mukiibi, BioInnovate Africa
