Tag Archives: PAHO

Adiós! Goodbye, oncho! Mexico joins two other countries in ending onchocerciasis in LAC

Blindness, END7, Latin America and the Caribbean, NTDs, Onchocerciasis, PAHO, River blindness, WHO, , , , , ,
Mission to verify the elimination of onchocerciasis in Ecuador. PAHO/WHO, 2014

Mission to verify the elimination of onchocerciasis in Ecuador. PAHO/WHO, 2014

I can’t wait to spread the news. The Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region is one step closer to seeing the end of onchocerciasis (also referred to as river blindness): Mexico has become the third country in the world to officially wipe out this disease!

The drive for progress is much of what motivated me during my time as the Director of the Pan American Health Organization, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas. I am excited to continue celebrating these milestones as Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Special Envoy, and a life-long advocate for public health.

Earlier this year, I wrote about 7 achievable victories in the fight against NTDs that I hope to see accomplished in 2015. Many of these wishes are coming true.

This week, I am filled with the joyful sense of pride in the accomplishment of Mexico and its partners as I check off Mexico’s certification of onchocerciasis elimination from my wish list. Mexico’s success builds off of Colombia and Ecuador’s certification in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and gives me even more confidence that we will soon see news of a LAC region completely free of onchocerciasis.

Onchocerciasis is a devastatingly debilitating parasitic disease that causes itchiness, rashes, and eye problems, eventually leading to permanent blindness. The parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of a black fly, which breeds in fast moving rivers, increasing the risk of blindness in nearby communities. What’s more, the disease causes a terrible ripple effect by pulling kids out of school to care for their blind elders, reducing economic productivity, and causing families to move out of fertile river valleys, decreasing agricultural outputs in already impoverished areas.

This momentous occasion moves the LAC region one step closer to eliminating the disease entirely—Guatemala has already submitted a request to WHO to verify elimination, and I hope to soon see more results from the enormous, highly coordinated, south-south cooperative effort between Brazil and Venezuela to stop transmission in the Yanomami communities along their borders.

We should all celebrate this official announcement, and we must particularly congratulate Mexico and the many partners that have been working to control this problem for decades and moved toward accomplishing elimination with new tools and new partners for the last fifteen years. 

Eliminating this disease requires unwavering determination. The first step in the elimination process is at least two years of mass drug administration, in which entire communities who are at risk of onchocerciasis are administered Mectizan (ivermectin) every six months. Merck has made an unprecedented pledge to donate Mectizan to everyone in need, for as long as needed. President Jimmy Carter and the Carter´s Center program (OEPA – Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas) have been instrumental, joining PAHO/WHO as well as the communities and health workers in a successful dream team. You can see President Carter’s , congratulating partners for their hard-earned accomplishments.

Once large-scale programs are complete, treatments are delivered to individuals on an as-needed basis. Communities are monitored for an additional twelve years to make sure that transmission of this disease has been interrupted. Finally, after treatment and monitoring, countries stop the treatment intervention and watch for three years to ensure that there is no resurgence in transmission, and then apply for WHO certification that elimination has been achieved.

I was thrilled to be able to celebrate the long-term dedication and resulting accomplishment of all partners contributing to this milestone at an event at PAHO Headquarters last week. Health Ministers from the countries that have eliminated or will soon eliminate river blindness, technical advisors, and global policy leaders were specially recognized for the recent successes and spur motivation to run the race through the last mile all around the world. I was particularly moved when Dr. Etienne, Director of PAHO/WHO, when she received the award. The outstanding accomplishment of the countries in the Americas comes at an excellent time, now that NTDs are officially identified in the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals. The LAC region has hit the ground running.

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago is the Director Emeritus of PAHO/WHO and a Special Envoy for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases

Sabin Celebrates 20 Years of Operations with a Star-Studded Event

Global Health, pharmaceuticals, , , ,

 

A

This post originally appeared on the Sabin Vaccine Institute blog.

In celebration of twenty years since its founding, the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) will bring together top leaders in the global health community for its 20th Anniversary Scientific Symposium on Friday, April 25 in Washington, DC.

The program will include an impressive lineup of speakers including Dr. Seth Berkley (GAVI Alliance); Dr. Margaret Chan (WHO); Dr. Mickey Chopra (UNICEF); Dr. Carissa Etienne (PAHO); Dr. Julio Frenk (Harvard University); Dr. Julie Gerberding (Merck Vaccines and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations); Dr. Lance Gordon (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation); and Dr. Mahendra Suhardono (Biofarma and the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network).  On behalf of Sabin’s vaccine leadership, President Dr. Peter Hotez and Executive Vice President Dr. Ciro de Quadros will also make remarks at the event.

By bringing together a diverse group of scientists, advocates and global health experts, Sabin will foster a thought-provoking discussion about best practices, lessons learned and prospects for the future of global health.  With executive leadership from the NGO community, multilateral institutions, pharmaceutical industry, and academia, attendees will hear how stakeholders from various vantage points – from the NGO, private and public sectors – are uniquely positioned to address pressing global health challenges across the world.

This event is open to the public; to register, please visit the event registration page.

PAHO Interviews NTD Special Envoy Álvaro Arzú During 52nd Directing Council

Latin America and the Caribbean, NTDs, PAHO,

 

aruzu_interview

Last week, during the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) 52nd Directing Council, NTD Special Envoy Álvaro Arzú, mayor of Guatemala City and former President of Guatemala, was asked to comment on the challenges of controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the region of the Americas. The interview (in Spanish) can be found below and you can read on to see what was discussed. To read more about the NTDs discussions held during the 52nd Directing Council, read our recap here.

PAHO: What are the challenges for mobilizing the agenda of neglected diseases in the region of the Americas?

NTD Special Envoy Álvaro Arzú: I think the biggest challenge is giving the issue the real importance it deserves. Indeed, when I was President, I was not informed of the relevance that neglected diseases have, that these diseases exist, and that they can be treated at a very low cost. But by not treating these diseases – their impact on the economy of a country is vast. If I had been told that story, I would have taken action.. So I think that the first and major challenge is to communicate to the heads of government and the people in decision-making positions, about the importance of coordinating a joint effort to distribute these drugs, which are very cheap —  and most are actually donated by pharmaceutical companies. And what is needed are the logistics to reach the communities that are in need of this medicine, which treats NTDs that are often overlooked because they are most prevalent in areas of extreme poverty. But today we know that a pill that costs 50 cents can treat and protect a person for one year. Now you can have a more or less definite solution.

PAHO: What is PAHO’s role in the fight against these diseases?

NTD Special Envoy Álvaro Arzú: Well, [it is] very important, because its role is precisely to coordinate all government agencies in the countries where we are still vulnerable to these diseases – to coordinate everyone in this effort. And you may be wondering what a mayor has to do with this matter? Well, I act as a spokesperson, really, of the organization – a Special Envoy, that is the term they have used – to give prominence or relevance to the topic. I think this is the main and first challenge we need to face, because people do not recognize the significance that this problem has within our countries.

NTD Progress Highlighted at PAHO’s 52nd Directing Council

Latin America and the Caribbean, PAHO, ,

 

Former President of Guatemala Álvaro Arzú presents during PAHO's Directing Council. [Photo by Mawish Raza]

Former President of Guatemala Álvaro Arzú presents during a PAHO Directing Council side event. [Photo by Mawish Raza]

By Raquel Corona-Parra

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region has been leading the way in Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) treatment and elimination efforts. With a list of successes under its belt — most recently the elimination of onchocerciasis from Colombia and the adoption of the Organization of American State’s resolution on NTDs – the LAC region is edging even closer to seeing the end of NTDs while setting an example for the rest of the world.

With this in mind, health officials from the LAC region met this week at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) headquarters in Washington, DC for its 52nd Directing Council. NTDs were highlighted throughout the week and they played an integral role in broader conversations on the post-2015 development agenda, the importance of water and sanitation service improvements, and the social determinants of health. Additionally, a progress report on technical matters including the review of onchocerciasis elimination was approved and accepted. PAHO has repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to ending NTDs, and included these diseases in their Strategic Plan for 2014-2019.

The Global Network was delighted to add to this important work by co-hosting a side event specifically on NTDs on October 2nd. Health officials, and one of our very own NTD Special Envoys, mayor of Guatemala City and former President of Guatemala Álvaro Arzú , highlighted the progress to date as well as the challenges that remain in controlling and eliminating NTDs, particularly the need for increased political and financial support in order to truly make NTDs a public health problem of the past.

Álvaro Arzú explained that political will and commitment from governmental leaders are essential in the fight against NTDs. He expressed that during his presidency, he was not aware that NTDs still afflicted the people of Guatemala, that the burden caused by these diseases is completely preventable, and perhaps most importantly, that highly-cost effective solutions already exist to control and eliminate NTDs. Former President Arzú noted his most important role as NTD Special Envoy is to provide the political voice required for the NTD efforts to be successful.

PAHO Assistant Director, Francisco Becerra Posada, gave the opening address and Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Secretary of Health Surveillance and Vice-Minister of Health of Brazil, moderated the event. Dr. Marcos Espinal, Director of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis Department at PAHO, shared updates on recent regional and global achievements.

Dr. Espinal stressed that although these achievements are historical accomplishments, challenges do remain. For example, there is a need to address the two remaining foci of onchocerciasis in the Americas — found in the border region of Venezuela and Brazil where this disease continues to plague the Yanomami indigenous population. In addition, fifty million children continue to be at risk for infection from intestinal parasites (soil-transmitted helminths, or STHs), which rob them from the chance of attending school and living healthy lives. Endemic countries need continued support to control and eliminate other NTDs like lymphatic filariasis (LF), trachoma, leprosy, rabies, and schistosomiasis; while Chagas disease, leishmaniansis, malaria and dengue continue to present serious challenges to health officials.

Ambassador Leonidas Rosa Bautista, permanent representative for Honduras at the OAS, stressed that for those who suffer from these diseases, NTDs are both a cause and a consequence of poverty. He also shared details on the national plan to address NTDs in Honduras. Honduras was the first country in the region of the Americas to launch its national plan, which addresses the burden of disease caused by 9 NTDs.

Ferdinando Regalia, Chief of Social Protection and Health Division at the Inter-American Development Bank, shared an overview on the widely successful LAC NTD Initiative demonstration project in Guyana, which we are implementing in collaboration with PAHO. An NTD component addressing LF and STHs was added to the Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Program, demonstrating how NTDs are best addressed through a cross-sectoral, inter-programmatic approach involving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

During the side event, Global Network Managing Director Neeraj Mistry acknowledged the leadership provided by PAHO and IDB in promoting and implementing programs that are helping millions of people throughout the region who suffer from NTDs. He stressed that the lessons learned in the region of the Americas should be shared with other regions of the world also afflicted by NTDs, so that together we can rid millions of people from these diseases.

We are beginning to see increased political will and commitment, and this makes us truly believe that we are closer to seeing the end of NTDs in the Americas!