Geneva: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of 20 conditions mainly prevalent in tropical areas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins.
NTDs include: Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue and chikungunya, dracunculiasis, echinococcosis, foodborne trematodiases, human African trypanosomiasis leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses, onchocerciasis, rabies, scabies and other ectoparasitoses, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, snakebite envenoming, taeniasis/cysticercosis, trachoma, and yaws.
In 2020, the World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsed the NTD road map for 2021-2030. In 2021, the WHA announced that January 30 will be recognized as World NTD Day every year.
Today, on World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day, a new progress report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) entitled “Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2023” shows that the number of people requiring NTD interventions fell by 80 million between 2020 and 2021, and eight countries were certified or validated as having eliminated one NTD in 2022 alone. As of December 2022, 47 countries had eliminated at least one NTD and more countries were in the process of achieving this target.
Accomplishments made in 2021-2022 build on a decade of significant progress. In 2021, 25% fewer people required interventions against NTDs than in 2010, and more than one billion people were treated for NTDs each year between 2016 and 2019 through mass treatment interventions.
However, NTDs continue to disproportionately affect the poorest members of the global community, primarily in areas where water safety, sanitation and access to health care are inadequate. Although as many as 179 countries and territories reported at least one case of NTDs in 2021, 16 countries accounted for 80% of the global NTD burden. Around 1.65 billion people were estimated to require treatment for at least one NTD, globally.
“As this progress report shows, we still have a lot of work to do. The good news is, we have the tools and the know-how not just to save lives and prevent suffering, but to free entire communities and countries of these diseases. It’s time to act now, act together, and invest in NTDs,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said.
The report also notes the significant impact COVID-19 had on community-based interventions and on access to health facilities, as well as on supply chains for healthcare products. This led to 34% fewer people receiving treatment for NTDs between 2019 and 2020, even if a general resumption of activities enabled an 11% increase in recovery in 2021 when approximately 900 million people were treated.
The new report emphasizes greater efforts and investments required to reverse delays and accelerate progress towards the NTD road map targets by 2030. Promoting country ownership and accountability, as well as the sustainability and predictability of financing, including more robust domestic funding, are key to achieving the NTD roadmap goals and enabling countries to deliver on their commitments to provide quality NTD services to affected populations.
– global bihari bureau
