Because they are prevalent in the poorest tropical regions, these pathologies are often neglected. Yet they constitute a burden for many countries.
Dengue fever, chikungunya, leprosy… the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Monday for more investment in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), from which more than 1.6 billion people suffer, pathologies neglected because they affect only the poorest countries in the world. NTDs are prevalent in areas where safe water, sanitation and access to health care are poor. “These diseases are neglected because they are almost absent from the global health agendasaid WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a message on World NTD Day. “Few funds are devoted to them and they are accompanied by stigma and social exclusion“, he added.
In 2021, around 1.65 billion people needed treatment for at least one of these NTDs, 80 million fewer than in 2020. The number of people needing treatment fell over the last decade. They were still 2.19 billion in 2010, indicated the WHO in a new report. But 16 countries account for 80% of the global NTD burden. They include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. Despite the difficulties in combating these diseases, 47 countries had eliminated at least one of them by the end of 2022. And eight of these countries had eliminated one in the last year alone.
«Worldwide, millions of people have been freed from the burden of neglected tropical diseases», welcomed Dr. Tedros, while emphasizing that much remained to be done. “The good news is that we have the tools and the know-how to not only save lives and prevent suffering, but also to free communities and entire countries from these diseases.“, he noted.
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«It’s time to act»
NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that occur mainly in tropical areas, where they affect the poorest communities. These diseases, such as Chagas disease, dengue fever, chikungunya and leprosy, are caused by different pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins). Their epidemiology is complex and often linked to environmental conditions. Many of them are transmitted by vectors, come from animal reservoirs and are associated withcomplex life cycles“, according to the WHO. All these factors make the fight against these diseases difficult in terms of public health. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic and the evolution in the field of financing, make the fight against NTDs difficult. “Time to act now, act together and invest in NTDsasked Dr. Tedros.
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According to the director of the NTD department at the WHO, Dr. Socé Fall, these diseases are neglected by the international community because they do not affect developed countries. By way of comparison, he pointed out that the fight against monkey pox (Mpox) only began when the disease was detected in wealthy countries last year. However, it had been present for many years in African countries. “We are farfor achieving the level of investment needed to fight NTDs, Dr. Fall pointed out last Friday. “Now is the time for more equity. We must protect people wherever they are, whatever their social status“, he insisted.