Monthly Archives: May 2012

Lymphatic filariasis,on the spotlight in Brazil

Brazil, Culex mosquito, geohelminthes, Guyana, Haiti, intestinal parasites, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, NTDs, PAHO, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, vector control, vector management

By: Agustin Caceres

In Recife, Brasil, the government is using the school system to screen and treat children for lymphatic filariasis

Brasilia, May 29th 2012 – The 11th Regional Meeting, organized by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), is taking place this week in Brasilia (Brazil). In this event, more than 30 representatives of governments, academia, and donor organizations in the fight against neglected infectious disease have gathered to discuss the situation of this NID in the Americas including the success stories, and also the remaining challenges.

In the opening session, hosted by Dr. Joaquin Molina, Representative of PAHO in Brazil, and Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr, Secretary of Health Surveillance of the Health Ministry of Brazil, highlighted that the disease continues to represent an important challenge for the health authorities of Latin America and the Caribbean. In the region, more than 12 million people are at risk of contracting this disease including Haiti, one of the countries most at risk.

“These meetings demonstrate Brazil’s support for the elimination of this disease in the country”, said Dr. Barbosa da Silva. “We are close to the elimination of LF, and that is why this is such an important step. This disease has to remain a top priority and this is why it is key that it is addressed with an integrated approach in collaboration with primary health care services. It is not just about eradication, but also about sustained surveillance.”

Lymphatic filariasis, which is included in the group of the Neglected Infectious Diseases, affects mainly indigenous populations, as well as rural and urban populations that live in pockets of extreme deprivation in several countries in LAC. This is the case of the metropolitan area of Recife, in northeastern Brazil, where the Inter-American Development Bank is supporting a project for the control and elimination of this disease as well as others like leprosy, still present in several areas in Brazil, and geohelminthiasis (intestinal parasites), which has a strong prevalence among children in school age in many municipalities throughout the country.

More than 30 representatives of several countries in the Region are attending this event, such as Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname –countries that have certified the eradication of this disease and therefore are no longer considered endemic- together with other countries that are still fighting this disease, including Haiti, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The meetings have covered a wide range of topics related to the fight against this disease: from Suriname’s National Plan of Action for the control of NIDs to the experience in Integrated Vector Management in Trinidad and Tobago and the metropolitan area of Recife in Brazil, where activities to monitor and eliminate breeding sites of the culex mosquito –vector for the transmission of LF- are a key component in the strategy to eradicate this disease.

The fight against LF is part of the joint efforts of the IDB, PAHO, and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases at the Sabin Vaccine Institute as part of the Neglected Infectious Diseases Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean, an initiative that is supporting innovative projects based with an integrated approach in both the fight against multiple diseases as well as the integration with other sectors like water, sanitation, and housing.

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Agustin Caceres is a consultant in Communications and Outreach at the Social Protection and Health Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington DC.

Sixty-Fifth Session of the WHA Highlights Progress in NTD Control, Adopts New Resolution on Schistosomiasis Elimination

NTDs, schistosomiasis, WHO

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) were on the agenda this week at the Sixty-fifth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.

A major milestone was reached when the WHA today approved a new resolution on elimination of schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis, also known as “snail fever”, is a disease caused by parasitic worms carried by fresh water snails. It is found predominantly in tropical and sub-tropical climates, and infects 207 million people in 74 countries worldwide. Schistosomiasis ranks second only to malaria as the most common parasitic disease.

This new resolution urges Member States to: ensure access to essential drugs against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth infection, mobilize resources in order to sustain activities for control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, promote access to safe water, sanitation and health education, mobilize resources in order to sustain activities for control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and include schistosomiasis control measures into other disease control programs and health systems.

While reinforcing past resolutions, this resolution also marks a new development in efforts to combat schistosomiasis because it sets the stage for changing the goal from control to elimination.  The resolution calls for the Director-General and the WHO to prepare guidance for reaching elimination and to develop processes to ascertain and certify when transmission has been interrupted and the diseases has been eliminated.

Programs against schistosomiasis have been very successful and many countries are ready to make the request for certifying elimination.  In passing this resolution, the WHA is ensuring that support is available for other countries to do the same.  Iran, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius, Morocco, Tunisia, parts of China and some Caribbean countries and territories are all ready to certify for elimination.   While much of the world is still working towards controlling schistosomiasis, these places are demonstrating that, ultimately, elimination of this debilitating disease is possible!

At the assembly, NTDs were also brought to the spotlight by Secretary of Health Surveillance, Jarbas Barbosa and Professor Therese N’Dri-Yoman, President of the Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly.

Barbosa spoke at the conference about the efforts that the Brazilian government has adopted for the elimination of NTDs and their view of NTD control as a key part of poverty alleviation.   He talked about , an initiative of the Brazilian Federal Government to eliminate extreme poverty in the country, which also incorporates a plan for NTDs. “We believe this integration promotes a synergistic opportunity to reach the poorest groups in our country,” Barbosa said.  He also mentioned that Brazil is close to achieving the elimination of two neglected diseases: lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.

In addition, at a lunch-time technical briefing on May 21, delegates discussed the relationship between NTDs and poverty.  Professor N’Dri-Yoman described the movement to control and eliminate NTDs as an “unprecedented force” that now exists among the global health community. A number of other speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration as vital to ensuring continued progress.

Click here to learn more about NTDs.

Click here to learn about all previous WHA Resolutions on Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Experts Examine How to Eliminate Trachoma at 16th Meeting of WHO-GET2020

NTDs

WHO wants to get rid of trachoma? That’s right. The World Health Organization (WHO) wants to eliminate trachoma by 2020.

On May 14-16, the 16th annual meeting of the WHO Alliance for Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020 Alliance) was held at the Pan American Health Organization PAHO headquarters in Washington, D.C. Health experts, medical researchers, medical practitioners, and advocates gathered at the GET 2020 Alliance meeting to evaluate the recent progress toward eliminating trachoma and to discuss subsequent steps to ensure that the 2020 target date is met.

Trachoma, an infectious disease of the eye, is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. More than 84 million people in 56 countries worldwide have active trachoma, and an estimated 8million have lost their sight due to complications from the disease. It is most commonly found in poor, rural communities where hygiene levels are poor and access to water and sanitation is limited. Trachoma infections spread rapidly through close personal contact and often run rampant in areas where people live in close proximity. Continue reading →

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Global Network, IDB, and PAHO Discuss Elimination of NIDs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Global Health, IDB, Latin America and the Caribbean, NIDs, PAHO, WHO

On Tuesday, May 15, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Global Network, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), got together with close to 100 international NTD experts, members of Latin American civil society and private sector stakeholders to celebrate the work that has been done to address neglected infectious diseases (NIDs)* in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and invigorate energy for the path that lies ahead.

The LAC region has had incredible success in the control and elimination of NIDs. This is no small part due to the region’s culture of prevention, which has lead to historical success in combating polio, measles and rubella.  LAC governments have also had major success in prioritizing immunization—to great economic benefit.  Where 15 years ago many countries could not afford immunization programs, the region now averages between 77 and 96% coverage of various vaccines.

Spirits were high as Honduran Ambassador to  the U.S.  Jorge Ramón Hernández Alcerro joined Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network for NTDs; Dr. Jon Andrus, Deputy Director of the PAHO; and Dr. Ferdinando Regalia, Social Protection and Health Division Chief at the IDB as a featured speaker. Continue reading →

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