Monthly Archives: March 2012

Dr. Peter Hotez’s latest research on NTDs in Texas and Mexico published in PLoS

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) may seem like faraway diseases in faraway places, but readers in the United States may be surprised to learn that many people grapple with these devastating diseases within our own borders. Not everyone is at risk of getting NTDs. These are diseases of  poverty, and risk factors include inadequate housing and sanitation.

NTDs in Texas and neighboring Mexico are the subject of a paper coauthored by Sabin president Dr. Peter Hotez, which was published earlier this week in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The authors highlight the burden of NTDs in Texas and Mexico and call for increased surveillance, improved education for healthcare workers and new therapies to control the high rates of NTDs like Chagas disease, dengue fever, leishmaniasis and hookworm in the region. The paper also draws attention to new collaborations between The Carlos Slim Foundation, the Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine, and the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, including a new tropical medicine clinic at Ben Taub Community Hospital in Houston. Continue reading

A short history of leishmania vaccines

By: Charles Ebikeme

In February of this year we saw the launch of the first human trial for a new vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis (leishmaniasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases, and it has been blogged about it in the past here on End the Neglect).

Photo credit: CDC

The new trial was launched by the InfectiousDiseaseResearchInstitute (IDRI) in Seattle, Washington with the plan to hold a further Phase 1 trial in India. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding the Phase 1 clinical trials, as part of the recently announced worldwide partnership with the WHO and 13 pharmaceutical companies to control or eliminate 10 neglected tropical diseases.

This new vaccine development can be added to a fast-expanding list of so-called “anti–poverty” vaccines; such as the famed RTS,S malariavaccine that last year proved to be effective (albeit not to levels some would deem completely effective), and vaccines in development for rabies, hookworm, schistosomiasis and dengue. Continue reading

Integrated NTD control in Mali

In many parts of the world where NTDs run rampant, it’s not uncommon to see communities affected by 2, 3 or even all seven of the most common NTDs. Because of this, countries and other stakeholders involved in NTD control are increasing efforts to integrate disease control programs. Integration helps to reach more people with the drugs needed to treat and prevent NTD infections, while cutting down on costs and resource demands.

In 2007, Mali was one of five ‘fast-track’ countries, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), managed by RTI International and assisted by Helen Keller International, to launch an integrated national NTD Control Program. A paper published last week in the Public Library of Sciences (PLoS) NTDs describes the successes and lessons learned so far through the implementation of this program.

From the paper: the distribution of the major NTDs in Mali, click for larger image

All seven major NTDs- lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma and the soil-transmitted helminthes (hookworm, roundworm and whipworm) are endemic in Mali. Extensive mapping and surveillance showed that there was significant overlap between disease distributions, with some regions suffering from all seven of the NTDs. However, before 2007 these diseases were controlled through independent disease control programs, with varying degrees of success. With the integrated approach, data from disease mapping was used to combine drugs and drug delivery to meet the needs of individual districts. Packages of drugs were distributed to whole communities using mass drug administration (MDA), a strategy known at preventative chemotherapy (PCT). Continue reading

Kappa Delta Sorority at Franklin and Marshall College Fundraise for the END7 Campaign

Bree Lotter and Alexis Teevens spread the word about NTDs in the F&M College Center.

There is more to student life than tweeting, sleeping, partying, and maintaining a ramen noodles only diet. Students are often active and involved members of their academic community. Since the launch of the , there have been several student and social organizations that have joined the movement to bring awareness and raise donations

The Eta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania directed its Cause of the Month toward seeing the end of seven NTDs. The sorority became interested in promoting the END7 Campaign because many of their members are interested in public health, medicine, and international affairs.

Lauren Silverman and Nellie Garlow raise awareness about NTDs

The most inventive aspect of their fundraising effort was to use small cups shaped like people in order to symbolize the END7 Campaign’s slogan: it only takes $0.50 to protect a person from all seven diseases for an entire year. Great idea!  “This was very effective because when students and faculty came to check out our cause, they were able to see how many lives they were changing by putting 2 quarters into each cup,” explains Kappa Delta Sorority sister, Eleanor Garlow. With materials provided by the END7, the sorority was able to educate and bring awareness to the Franklin & Marshall College about NTDs. “We also showed END7’s video to interested students and spoke with them about opportunities in international health,” says Garlow. The Kappa Delta Sorority’s fundraising efforts raised over $90 for the END7 Campaign. Great work, Kappas!

To learn more about how your school can get involved with the END7 Campaign, visit .