Tropical diseases control gets pharma, donor push

One billion people were treated for at least one neglected tropical diseases (NTD) because of the efforts of the world’s biggest government, industry and donor partnership in public health, announced the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the Global Partners’ Meeting on NTDs in Geneva on April 19.

These diseases, which include kala azar, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, intestinal worms such as hookworm, roundworms and whipworms, affect the poor and marginalised, are controllable and curable infections that deform, disable and kill if left untreated.

“WHO has observed recordbreaking progress towards bringing ancient scourges like sleeping sickness and elephantiasis to their knees,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan. “Over the past 10 years, millions have been rescued from disability and poverty, thanks to one of the most effective global partnerships.”

In 2012, international partners endorsed a WHO NTD Roadmap, committing additional support and resources to eradicate of 10 of the most common diseases.

“Good progress, some of these diseases are on track to be done (eliminated) by 2020, some by 2025. Some will take longer than that,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which pledged $335 million over the next four years.

Once widely prevalent, these diseases are now restricted to tropical and sub-tropical regions with unsafe water, inadequate hygiene and sanitation, and poor housing conditions. Poor people living in remote, rural areas, urban slums or conflict zones are most at risk, with more than 70% of countries reporting NTDs, being low or lower-middle income economies.

The WHO estimates that 2.4 billion people still lack basic sanitation facilities , while more than 660 million continue to drink water from “unimproved” sources, such as surface water.