Font size:
Print
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Africa constitutes 40% of those affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases in world
Context: With Africa accounting for 40% of the global burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the urgency to address these infections has never been greater. These diseases disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalised communities, often slipping under the radar of global health priorities.
What are tropical diseases?
- Tropical diseases are infectious diseases that thrive in hot and humid climates, typically found in tropical and subtropical regions. Many of these are caused by parasites, bacteria, or viruses and are spread through vectors like mosquitoes, flies, snails, or contaminated water and soil.
- A subset of these, known as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), are particularly prevalent in low-income populations, often in remote or underserved regions. NTDs receive little attention or funding despite affecting over 1.7 billion people globally.
- Key examples include cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis (skin ulcers, organ damage), schistosomiasis (organ damage from parasitic worms), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), trachoma (preventable blindness), and Guinea worm disease (painful blistering and disability).
What are the significant challenges associated with mitigating tropical diseases?
- Limited Diagnosis and Treatment Access: In regions like East Pokot, Kenya, and parts of Uganda, there is a lack of diagnostic infrastructure, including labs, drugs, and trained personnel. Diseases like CL are painful to treat, and children endure injections without anaesthesia due to the unavailability of medical supplies.
- Absence of Standard Protocols: Countries like Kenya have no official treatment guidelines for CL, though they exist for VL. Inadequate medical protocols result in misdiagnosis (e.g., CL being confused with HIV, malaria, or pneumonia).
- Neglect by Health Systems: NTDs lack prioritisation compared to diseases like malaria, HIV, and TB. For example, sandfly control (the vector for CL and VL) is not addressed directly; any protection is incidental through malaria control programmes.
- Geographic and Social Isolation: Areas such as East Pokot are marginalised, sparsely populated, and far from health infrastructure. Ethnic tensions, like between the Pokot and Tugen tribes in Kenya, prevent people from accessing treatment centres.
- Environmental and Behavioural Factors: Deforestation and human encroachment into wild habitats increase human-animal-insect interaction, raising the risk of transmission (e.g., sandflies from hyraxes). Practices like playing near termite mounds or rocky caves, or fishing in infected lakes, increase exposure.
- Stigma, Awareness and Nomadic Lifestyles: Stigma and lack of awareness often delay treatment. Nomadic populations cannot easily access fixed health facilities and face increased vector exposure from sleeping outdoors.
What measures have been taken to address the challenges?
- Community-Based and NGO-Led Initiatives: In Kenya’s Baringo County, community organisations like Kaperur are helping with awareness and patient referrals. NGOs have supported the renovation and equipping of hospitals (e.g., Chemolingot Hospital) for better diagnostics (like spleen aspiration).
- Government-Led Programmes: Kenya has established a National Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme. In Uganda, the Ministry of Health distributes Praziquantel to affected districts annually or biannually for schistosomiasis control.
- International Support: WHO, UNICEF, and foundations like Probitas and Izumi support infrastructure, medicines, and awareness programmes. WHO supplies drugs like Praziquantel and supports capacity building.
- Global Commitments: The London Declaration (2012) and the ESPEN project aim to eliminate 10 NTDs by 2020 (later extended to 2030). Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) includes eliminating NTDs by 2030, targeting a 90% reduction in cases.
Focus on Integrated Health Systems: New NTD indices developed by WHO are being compared with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) indices to assess if progress in general healthcare also reflects in NTD control. In some countries like Ghana, Malawi, and Senegal, NTD-specific efforts outperform overall UHC progress, often due to independent health agencies.
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more Valuable Content – TheStudyias
Download the App to Subscribe to our Courses – Thestudyias
The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH
