End the Neglect

A blog of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases

Archive for the ‘Latin America and the Caribbean’ category

Eliminating Leprosy in Brazil

March 20th, 2013

A majority of the NTD disease burden in Latin America and the Caribbean occurs in Brazil. This week, the Brazilian Ministry of Health is launching a public health campaign to diagnose and treat soil-transmitted helminths (or intestinal parasites) and leprosy in school-aged children. Over the next few days, we will be featuring stories related to the fight against NTDs in Brazil.

Leprosy is possibly one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. It is also one that causes great stigmatization and marginalization of those who are affected by it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pockets of high leprosy rates remain in some areas of Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania. India has the greatest incidence of leprosy, with 133,717 new cases in 2009; followed by Brazil, with 37,610 new cases in 2009. In Latin America and the Caribbean, leprosy is no longer a public health problem, except for in Brazil. The Brazilian government is working tirelessly to combat leprosy and to empower those who are currently affected. Because of this, Brazil is close to eliminating leprosy as a public health problem, which is defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 people.

Also known as Hansen’s disease, leprosy is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae and it is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, through close and frequent contact with untreated cases. Still, it is important to note that it is not highly infectious. Leprosy can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes, if left untreated. The main treatment for leprosy is multidrug therapy (MDT), which includes dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine. » Read more: Eliminating Leprosy in Brazil

1 comment »

Posted in Brazil, Latin America and the Caribbean, leprosy

Hope Clubs: Empowering LF patients in Haiti

March 7th, 2013

By Raquel Corona-Parra

The Global Network is working everyday alongside multiple partners around the world to improve the lives of those suffering from NTDs. The Christian Blind Mission (CBM) is a Global Network partner working in Haiti to fight the disabling effects of Lymphatic Filariaris in individuals, as well as to raise awareness about the disease among the general public.

Lymphatic Filariaris (LF), also known as elephantiasis, is an extremely painful, debilitating and disfiguring disease. The disease is caused by the thread-like parasitic filarial worms Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi, which live in the lymphatic system and can cause extreme swelling (or lymphedema) of the extremities and genitals. LF infection can be treated with a combination of medicines that cost approximately 50 cents per person per year. Symptoms of advanced stages of the disease, lymphedema, can also be addressed with a morbidity management plan.

General meeting of all members of self-help groups at the Hospital Sainte Croix in Leogane, Haiti, September 2012. Photo by CBM USA.

Just as important as the medicine needed to treat the physical effects of LF is the treatment necessary to alleviate the emotional effects of the disease. Those with severe symptoms are often unable to work because of the physical disability brought on by the disease. Many suffer from social stigma and marginalization as a result of their disfigurement. CBM is working to empower patients of LF through proper self-care guidelines as well as with the psychosocial and emotional support that is vital for their physical and emotional well-being. » Read more: Hope Clubs: Empowering LF patients in Haiti

No comments »

Posted in elephantiasis, Haiti, Latin America and the Caribbean, lymphatic filariasis

Can an antibiotic help a child grow?

January 22nd, 2013

This blog was re-posted with permission from the Inter-American Development Bank’s blog First Steps, a blog that talks about child development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

By Agustin Caceres

Antibiotics are known for helping control bacterial infections in both children and adults. But antibiotics are also known for some of their side effects: diarrhea, allergic reactions, collateral infections… But what if an antibiotic could have a positive side effect in the development of malnourished children aged 1-5 in developing countries? I read about this idea when I found an article published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which talks about some unexpected findings related to the use of one of the most commonly-used antibiotics, azithromycin. This drug is widely used to fight trachoma, a Neglected Tropical Disease that is sadly the most common infectious cause of blindness, and that still affects poor communities in some areas of Latin America like Chiapas (Mexico) and Southern Colombia.

This antibiotic has proven effective in the treatment of this disease thanks to different studies since the early 90s. But the surprise came when three years ago, a study published at University of California in San Francisco showed that all-cause mortality in children aged 1-5 years was reduced by almost 50% in Ethiopian communities in which all children received an annual dose of azithromycin.

Now, a team lead by Professor David Mabey has been awarded a $10m grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to study the impact of the antibiotic on child mortality in three countries in Africa: Niger, Tanzania and Malawi. The funds will support the study of the mechanism underlying this finding, by looking at the effect of azithromycin on the function of the bowel, the absorption of nutrients, and on the growth of babies in Malawi.

Hopefully this study will help find a new solution to the challenge of identifying the causes of slow growth during the first 1,000 days of life of a little boy or girl. The positive effects of deworming among children and the use of micronutrients have been widely demonstrated. What if this antibiotic could reduce multiple infections and therefore help absorb nutrients better, improving the growth and early development of kids? Stay tuned to the work of these researchers to find out more.

Agustin Caceres is a Communications and Outreach consultant at the Social Protection and Health Division of the IDB in Washington DC.

No comments »

Posted in Latin America and the Caribbean, Trachoma

Tags: antibiotics IDB

NTD Success Story: Guatemala Eliminates Onchocerciasis Transmission in Huehuetenango

November 28th, 2012

Another battle in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has been won in Guatemala, where onchocerciaisis transmission has been eliminated in Huehuetenango.

A recent article in the Journal of Parasitology Research evaluated onchocerciasis transmission in the department of Huehuetenango in western Guatemala after 22 rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) over 13 years. In 2007-2008, prevalence of infection was determined to be zero percent through eye examinations of residents, antibody detection in school children and parasite detection in black flies. Following the results of this evaluation, mass treatment was halted in 2009 and post treatment surveillance of parasite prevalence in black flies was conducted from 2009-2011. Infection remained at zero percent, validating that transmission had been eliminated in the area.

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is caused by the parasite Onchocerca volvulus and is transmitted to humans by the bite of black flies. Infection with the parasite can produce nodules, inflammation, discoloration and itching of the skin, as well as lesions that can lead to blindness. Onchocerciasis is found in 37 countries across the world.

The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, or OEPA, was established in 1992 with the goal of supporting national programs in LAC countries to provide twice yearly MDA of ivermectin to a minimum of 85 percent of the eligible population at risk. The Guatemala Ministry of Public Health, with the assistance from OEPA, began MDA for onchocerciasis in 1996, and since 2002 has reached the targeted coverage of the eligible population through twice-yearly MDA. There were four endemic foci for onchocerciasis in Guatemala. Before this study, transmission in two of the four foci had already been declared eliminated. With this recent evidence of elimination in Huehuetenango and with post treatment surveillance being conducted in the fourth foci, Guatemala is well on its way to request the WHO certification of nation-wide elimination in 2015.