Last week, Colombia became the first country in the world to receive verification from the World Health Organization that it has eliminated onchocerciasis. This achievement comes just a few months after a landmark paper published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reported that Togo will soon become the first sub-Saharan African country to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF). The authors of the report, “A Success Story: Togo is Moving toward Becoming the First Sub-Saharan African Nation to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis through Mass Drug Administration and Countrywide Morbidity Alleviation,” determined:
“the success of the National Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in Togo was facilitated by charismatic, innovative, and trustworthy program managers able to i) timely identify issues and solutions, ii) ensure visibility at the highest levels of the MoH, iii) adopt an opportunistic approach using existing health interventions and a decentralized health system to integrate LF activities, and most importantly, iv) develop a variety of partnerships and pioneering approaches to mobilize resources for a synchronized implementation of the twin-pillar strategies as recommended by the GPELF. The adoption of these approaches could aid other countries that are not on target to reach the 2020 LF elimination goal in sub-Saharan Africa.”
After learning of this great news, Dr. Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, remarked in a commentary, “Eliminating Neglect and Neglected Tropical Diseases,” “I am very excited about the results coming out of Togo, which give me cause for great optimism and hope!”
Dr. Hotez also noted,“The importance of the paper stems from the fact that it provides further proof of principle that sub-Saharan African nations are building on their previous successes in elimination or eradication of selected neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).” To continue building this momentum, he urges country governments, international non-profit partners and pharmaceutical companies to work together to meet the goals of the London Declaration on NTDs.
As more countries develop long-term plans for the control and elimination of NTDs, we will surely get to celebrate many more success stories.