Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases to improve nutrition -Masebo

 Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases to improve nutrition -Masebo

 

By Daily News Reporter

 

Africa should hasten efforts to mobilising its own resources to eradicate leprosy, hookworms among other forms of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by 2030 as espoused under the Continental Framework, notes Zambia’s health minister Sylvia Masebo.

Africa is fraught with recurring cases of leprosy, guinea worms, snake bites, stuntedness, overarching malnutrition, underweight in children, among other tropical diseases which remain unresolved because of overly relying on cooperating partners to finance.

The habit, perpetuated over the years and forces countries to effectively forced to implement programme under duress by financiers has in turn escalated the burden and may force the member states' to veer off course in attaining the time frame set in the framework, aligned to the African Vision 2063.

Various players across Africa, including donor agencies have effective Wednesday, converged in Lusaka for a three-day-meeting ‘on mobilising domestic resources and strengthening programs to combat neglected tropical diseases’ themed: “Leveraging on Neglected Tropical Diseases Programmes to Improve the Nutritional Status of Affected Communities”.

Minister Masebo, in a speech read by Permanent Secretary, George Sinyangwe notes that the call for mopping own resources for NTDs was fight as it was a noble cause for the majority people living in tropical and subtropical regions and the poor who have no or limited health care and safe water and sanitation.

The ‘own resources’ will bring independence to countries and will enable Africa make independent decisions, domesticate such programmes and ultimately free Africa of all tropical ailments by 2030 as espoused by the World Health Organisation-the driver of the remedy.

“Concerted action and sustainable financing for NTDs is needed to ensure we have sufficient resources to achieve the targets in the WHO 2030 NTD road map. “Minister Masebo told delegates while emphasising on the call for unity of purpose.

“That is why, together and united, we will make the case for investment, and push for concerted action and financing of NTDs.”

Arguably, while some NTDs were endemic and others not life threatening, it has forced many of the affected citizenry habituating in tropical and sub-tropical regions to remain at various risks and without health care services safe water and sanitation facilities.

Mothers and children, too are even the most risky as they are vulnerable to infections from worms, anaemia and other complications as the diseases progress.

Some children, the minister argued are forced to drop out of school to take care of their parents who are disabled by NTDs.

This often results in little or no education for these children, a situation perpetuating the cycle of poverty for families which affects nutrition which needs attention as demanded under the framework.

There is need to work towards improving the nutritional status alongside the implementation of NTD prevention interventions and treatment if elimination, control and eradication goals are to be achieved by needs various ingredients to ensure nutrition is achieved.

“Without adequate calories and nutrients to repair damaged tissues or recover lost growth and development, the benefits of treatment may not be evident quickly and the effects of control programs may not be appreciated by beneficiaries, while vulnerability to reinfection and disease may not be reduced.”

Minister Masebo, while admitting Zambia was equally affected noted some of the mitigation efforts undertaken, arguably to be integrated into NTD control and elimination programs including MDAs and behavioral change activities.

Zambia remains endemic to 8 NTDs and more than 13 million out of a population of 19 million remain at risk of being infected by one or more of the endemic NTDs.

The Government has strengthen its resolve in implementation of NTD elimination, control and eradication programmes by investing in the Development of the NTD Masterplan aligned to the World Health Organization Road Map 2030 on eliminating NTDs.

Its conducting MDAs under the LF (Lymphatic Filariasis) and Trachoma programs to stop transmission, leading Zambia on the path to eliminating NTDs such as Trachoma and LF.

The ministry of health has undertaken an impact and coverage surveys after the MDAs and conducted Pre - Transmission Assessment Survey and Transmission Assessment survey for LF in 80 districts across the country and planned to further conduct these activities in the remaining 16 districts.

Arguably, there’s is an element is mitigation as of the 57 districts initially found to be endemic for trachoma only 7 are remaining to be certified free of active trachoma as per WHO set standards hence the call for reliable and ‘home grown funds’ to achieve the targets in the WHO 2030 NTD road map.

And African Union NTD Lead Specialist Sheila Tamara Shawa, while commending the political will among member states in fighting NTDs, urged leaders to commit and actualize budgetary allocations towards NTDs as a show of goodwill in resolving the preventable ailments.

NTDs are a diverse group of diseases and conditions prevalent mainly in Africa, Asia and the Americas and affect more than 1 billion people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently lists 202 disease groups as neglected tropical diseases.

Most of these diseases, a mixture of parasitic, bacterial, fungal, viral and non-communicable diseases endemic in 49 countries on the continent and affect over 600 million individuals, representing 42% of the global burden of NTDs.

Africa is hardest hit and bears about the half the global burden of NTDs. Almost 90% of the global Schistosomiasis and Onchocerciasis cases are found in Africa.

Socioeconomic factors such as poverty, heightened exposure to vectors, unsafe food and water, reservoir hosts and climate and other poor conditions exacerbate the spread of NTDs.

Out of the total global number of deaths recorded in recent years, 206, 155 resulted from NTDs, of which 67 860 (32.9%) occurred in Africa.

Approximately 200,000 deaths and 19 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost annually, NTDs cost developing communities the equivalent of billions of United States dollars each year in direct health costs, according to the United Nations estimate, according to UN data.