News Excerpt:
The African nation has made history as the first country in 2024 to eliminate a neglected tropical disease.
More about the news: Chad has become the first country in 2024 and the 51st globally to eliminate a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
Neglected Tropical Disease:
- Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins.
- It is associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences. These are mainly prevalent among impoverished communities in tropical areas.
- According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that NTDs affect more than 1 billion people, while the number of people requiring NTD interventions (both preventive and curative) is 1.6 billion.
Why are they called neglected:
- They are ‘neglected’ because they are almost absent from the global health agenda. Even today, when the focus is on Universal Health Coverage, NTDs have very limited resources and are almost ignored by global funding agencies.
- NTDs are diseases of neglected populations that perpetuate a cycle of poor educational outcomes and limited professional opportunities; in addition, are associated with stigma and social exclusion.
How to tackle NTDs:
- WHO recommends five core strategic interventions to accelerate the prevention, control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs):
- innovative and intensified disease management,
- preventive chemotherapy,
- vector control,
- veterinary public health, and
- provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene
NTDs and SDGs:
- NTDs have the greatest relevance for SDG 3 (the health goal).
- It directly contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3.3: “end the epidemics of...neglected tropical diseases”, and is measured by SDG indicator 3.3.5: “number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases”.
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Human African Trypanosomiasis
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