During the national poliomyelitis vaccination days, the Ministry of Health asked for any suspect wounds to be brought to the attention of medical personnel. Affivi (who was then seven years old) and her brother and sister, Kossivi and Léonie, were identified as having the disease. They were sent to the Saint-Jean de Dieu Hospital in Afangnan where they underwent antibiotic treatment.

Since April 2004 and on the request of the coordinator of the WHO Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative, Handicap International asked its community-based rehabilitation staff to report any suspected cases of the disease. At the same time, the organization tried to forge a partnership with the PNLUB (National Buruli Ulcer Control Campaign), which had few resources. So in March 2005, our Afangnan staff member, our project manager and the head of programme visited the children who had been hospitalised.

They then met Affivi whose legs were so badly putrefied that an amputation was urgently needed in order to save her life. Her case was advocated to the hospital management who finally acknowledged the urgency of the situation. No financial contribution was requested from Affivi's parents and the PNLUB manager provided a batch of treatments for the three children. Affivi's left leg was amputated and then two months later, her right leg was also amputated. Fortunately, Affivi quickly recovered due to her young age.

In August 2005, she was examined during a travelling session in Afangnan organized by the CNAO (National Orthopaedic Fitting Centre) and funded by Handicap International. Thanks to this, beneficiaries only pay 30% of the real cost of prostheses and orthoses. Her brother and sister have also returned to the village. However, the little boy still has to undergo one more operation to free up his knee which is greatly retracted.