The 2011 World Health Summit wrapped up last month in Berlin, Germany. The Global Network was in attendance represented by Managing Director Dr. Neeraj Mistry, who discusses on the ONE Campaign Germany blog the importance of integrating efforts to address NTDs with those that address the “Big Three” – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Find the English version of the blogpost below:
By: Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases
The 2011 World Health Summit brought together over 1,500 global health experts from over 75 countries to raise awareness of key issues in global health during October 23-26. One such issue that the global health community must address is neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Over the last month, I’ve talked with you here on the ONE Deutschland Blog about the global impact of NTDs. We desperately need to draw attention to these diseases, to raise public awareness, and eventually eliminate NTDs. At the World Health Summit, the Global Network hosted a symposium where we discussed the link between NTD control with control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Today I’d like to extend that discussion to you.
NTD treatment improves not only the health, but also the economic development and education of individuals and entire communities. Addressing NTDs will be essential to meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), meant to help lift the world’s poorest countries out of extreme poverty by the year 2015. In light of that, the United States, the United Kingdom and other G8 member countries have made commitments to NTD programs that have resulted in enormous gains in the treatment and prevention of these diseases.
Though these programs have begun to tackle the NTD burden, there is still much work to be done. Failing to scale up NTD control programs will undermine current development efforts. While education programs may provide students with laptops or books, those students with NTDs are unlikely to fully benefit from these resources. NTDs limit cognitive ability and induce lethargy, leaving students unable to attend school and concentrate on their studies. Similarly, efforts to give young people regular, nutritious meals will be negated if they have a worm infection (roundworm, whipworm, or hookworm) that absorb all of those nutrients and vitamins.
Currently, there is a striking imbalance in funding between NTD control and control of the “Big Three” diseases— HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Today, however, we have the opportunity to have a major impact on both NTDs and the “Big Three” by integrating control programs. We know that NTDs occur where HIV/AIDs, malaria and TB occur, and there is emerging evidence that NTD infections either promote susceptibility to or worsen the course of these diseases.
It only costs about 50 cents per person each year to treat NTDs. Integrating NTD control measures into “Big Three” control efforts is one of the lowest-cost health interventions available. Integration would lead to accelerated progress towards control of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB, while giving more people access to life-changing NTD treatments. It’s truly a win-win situation. Moreover, we already have the drugs –several pharmaceutical countries have donated the drugs that we need to treat NTDs.
Integration is possible and it needs to happen now. We can reduce needless suffering caused by NTDs and we can help lift more than one billion people out of poverty.
Join us in our fight to end the seven most common neglected tropical diseases. In the coming months, we will be launching a new public awareness campaign that will give these diseases the attention and funding they so greatly deserve. Please visit www.globalnetwork.org to learn more about our new campaign.