Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

•  Around the world, nearly 1.6 billion people are affected by a group of diseases which is called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

About Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries and affect more than one billion people, costing developing economies billions of dollars every year.
• They mainly affect populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock.
• Effective control against NTDs can be achieved when several public health approaches are combined.
• Interventions are therefore guided by local epidemiology and availability of appropriate detection, prevention and control measures that can be delivered locally.
• Implementation of appropriate measures with high coverage will lead to achieving the WHO NTD Roadmap targets resulting in the elimination of many diseases and the eradication of at least two by 2020.
• In May 2013, the 66th World Health Assembly adopted resolution which calls on Member States to intensify and integrate measures and plan investments to improve the health and social well-being of affected populations.
• On 28 May 2016, the 69th World Health Assembly approved a resolution recognizing mycetoma as a neglected tropical disease.
• The resolution also provides for a systematic, technically-driven process for evaluation and potential inclusion of additional diseases among the neglected tropical diseases.
• This is in recognition of the fact that there are still many tropical, poverty-related diseases or conditions that remain neglected and for which advocacy, awareness and research are required to develop better diagnostic methods, treatments and control strategies.

Analysis:

• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over 1.5 billion of the world’s most impoverished people, including 875 million children.
• They cause severe pain, long-term disability, and are the cause of death for over 170,000 people per year.
• Amongst children, infection leads to malnutrition, cognitive impairment, stunted growth, and the inability to attend school.
• Adults suffer from social isolation and are unable to work, and anaemia caused by NTDs increases the risk of maternal mortality.
• The Indian government has set itself the target of eliminating kala-azar and filariasis by 2017, and leprosy by 2018.
• With such ambitious targets, sustained research must remain an integral component of disease elimination programmes. Besides basic research — the discovery of new facts about a disease, vaccines and drugs — new strategies are needed to make an impact.
• For programmes to succeed, it is important to maintain constant vigilance through robust surveillance and reporting mechanisms.
• Partnerships with diverse stakeholders including the private sector, community-based organisations, and community leaders are specifically useful in creating awareness, improving case detection, treatment completion and, most importantly, managing stigma associated with these diseases.
• While tackling NTDs, it will be important to remember that along with timely diagnosis and treatment access in unreached areas, focussing on the fundamentals of preventive interventions, nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are essential in fast-tracking the ultimate goal of elimination.

By: Vishal