Source: Zim marks World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day | The Herald January 30, 2020
Paul Chinakidzwa, Correspondent
Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world today in commemorating the inaugural World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day.
The day was set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to bring together civil society advocates, community leaders, global health experts and policymakers working across the diverse NTD landscape, and unify partners behind our common goal of defeating NTDs.
The day affords stakeholders an opportunity to mobilise greater attention, action and investment on priority issues, especially in countries and communities most directly affected by these diseases.
Each year, a theme/ slogan for promoting the event is proposed.
For this year’s event, the slogan is: #BeatNTDs. For good. For all.
This slogan aims to gather support and build momentum for a decisive year of action against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). January 30 is the anniversary of the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs, which did much to bring together policymakers across countries for the Roadmap for NTD Elimination by year 2020 and to encourage investment to commit to control and eliminate NTDs.
This year, the day will be used by WHO to launch new NTD goals to guide progress until 2030. The WHO has a vision of having ended the NTD epidemic by the year 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 target.
In response to the launch, leaders will have the opportunity and responsibility to recommit to beating NTDs through putting political and financial resources behind their words. For this to happen, there is need for the support of a well-organised NTD community driving attention and action consistently in the months ahead. To succeed, we need to start 2020 strong — which is where World NTD Day comes in.
What are NTDs?
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) refer to a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions.
These diseases are found in 149 countries and threaten the lives of over 1,6 billion people worldwide. They are mainly diseases that affect the poor. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected. Previously, these diseases have not been allocated adequate resources neither have they enjoyed political commitment. This is now a thing of the past as in Zimbabwe and many other African countries there is now support from high offices and there is dedicated funding for their elimination.
One in five people worldwide is at risk of NTDs. In addition to deaths, these diseases blind, disable and disfigure people, affecting their livelihoods and for children the chances of staying in school, earning better livelihoods and being well accepted by their communities including families. Neglected tropical diseases cost affected countries billions of dollars yearly in lost productivity and managing and treating the complications they cause to people living in endemic areas.
List of NTDs
The following is a list of NTDs that the world is grappling with.
Buruli ulcer
Chagas disease
Dengue and Chikungunya
Guinea worm disease
Echinococcosis
Foodborne trematodiases
Human African trypanosomiasis
Leishmaniasis
Leprosy
Lymphatic filariasis
Mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses
Onchocerciasis
Rabies
Scabies and other ectoparasites
Schistosomiasis
Soil-transmitted helminth
Snakebite envenoming
Taeniasis/Cysticercosis
Trachoma
NTDs prevalent in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is endemic to 10 NTDs namely Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia, Soil Transmitted Helminths or Intestinal worms, Lymphatic Filariasis or Elephantiasis, Blinding trachoma, Rabies, Leprosy, Sleeping Sickness, Anthrax, Plague and Snake envenoming. The first four are the most common NTDs found in the country.
Prevention and control of NTDs
NTDs can be prevented and controlled through the implementation of multiple public health approaches in affected areas. The selection of the best control strategies depends on the local situation (epidemiology) and availability of measures that detect, prevent and control the diseases. High coverage control strategies contributes towards achieving WHO targets for the elimination of NTDs.
Full article on www.herald.co.zw
The writer is the Deputy Director Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
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