Tag Archives: soil transmitted helminths

A Call to Action: Deworming Needs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean, NTDs, parasites, , , , ,

Child infected with a STH.

Washington, D.C. – A new report released today by the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, an initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, highlights theimpact that a small group of neglected diseases are having on children in the Americas and presents concrete policy recommendations that can lead to significant progress in achieving several Millennium Development Goals in the Americas by 2015.

Entitled A Call to Action: Addressing Soil-transmitted Helminths in Latin America and the Caribbean, the report was developed in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. The findings shed light on the health and economic toll imposed on at-risk populations by three types of parasitic intestinal worms, known collectively as soil-transmitted helminths (STH).

At least 46 million children in the Americas, or nearly 20% in the region, are at risk of becoming infected by these parasites. Infection often leads to chronic malnutrition, impairment of physical and cognitive development, and traps vulnerable populations in a cycle of poverty.

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Chiapas Receives 5.5 Million Pesos for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases

hookworm, Latin America and the Caribbean, NTDs, poverty, Public Health, Trachoma, , , , , , , , , , ,

Press Release from Inter-American Development Bank:

More than 132,000 people will benefit from a program Inter-American Development Bank(IDB), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Sabin Vaccine Institute (SVI) signed with the State of Chiapas to combat some of the worst infectious diseases.

The Chiapas State Government will fight tropical diseases such as trachoma and helminthiasis with $312,000 donated by the institutions and their local counterpart. FEMSA Foundation has also joined this effort and donated $137,520 to the State of Chiapas.

The program endeavors to reduce morbidity and help raise the index of human development in the Southern-most state of Mexico. It plans to ensure compliance with international commitments such as the elimination of onchocerciasis, trachoma, rabies transmitted by dogs, control of diseases like Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, as well as prevention from soil-transmitted helminthiasis. These diseases have detrimental social impacts that include low work productivity and social occlusion.

The agreement on the donation was signed on February 15, 2011. The first project under the initiative to combat tropical diseases will be held in the five trachoma-endemic municipalities of Chiapas: San Juan Cancuc, Oxchuc, Tenejapa, Huixtan and Chanal. This pilot project aims to show how comprehensive and well designed projects can achieve elimination and control of these diseases.

The agreement was signed by the state authorities of Chiapas, State Governor Lic. Juan Sabines Guerrero, the Health Secretary, Dr. James Gomez Montes, the IDB representative in Mexico, Mr. Ellis Juan, the Managing Director of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr. Neeraj Mistry, the Director of FEMSA Foundation, Mr. Vidal Garza, and Dr. Humberto Montiel, representing the Pan American Health Organization. Being witnessed by Dr. Margarita Aguilar, PAHO representative in Chiapas.

This first demonstration project will also receive additional resources from the state government to provide clean water and basic sanitation to municipalities. The program’s objective is to demonstrate reproducibility in any Latin American country, which will positively impact human and social development in the region.

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CNTD and LATH, in partnership with SCI, receive award from DFID for the Integrated Control of Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminths in subSaharan Africa

Africa, Global Health, poverty, Public Health, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

Recently, the UK Department of International Development (DFID) announced a £25 million grant for  Imperial’s , which will pay for 75 million treatments against intestinal worms and schistosomiasis in Niger and Uganda as well as  expand the work nationally in Tanzania and Zambia and will help begin programmes in four more countries.

The Center for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNTD) is a partner in the consortium that is recieving the funds and according to the press release:

“In line with the government‘s push to make aid deliver better results, the consortium will safeguard the distribution of drugs and make sure they reach those most in need by providing aid only once agreed milestones have been met. Staff will be trained in the recipient countries to work within high risk communities. The US government recently committed additional funding to neglected tropical diseases. The SCI, CNTD and USAID supported programmes will help integrate treatment across the targeted countries. The consortium will work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help recipient countries prepare national plans for the sustainable control of all neglected diseases, and with ministries of health or national partners to train staff to distribute drugs in communities that need them the most.”

Read the full press release here

End the Neglect Recognizes World Food Day

Global Development, Global Health, Maternal Health, NTDs, poverty, Public Health, , , , , , ,

Happy World Food Day readers! Many countries in the developing world have reduced child hunger rates since 1990. And with only five years left to reach Millennium Development Goal 1, more than half of the United Nations are on their way to reducing child hunger rates by half. However, much more needs to be done. Hunger and malnutrition affect the “bottom billion” – a population who lives on less than $1 a day – and within this population more than 400 million children are infected with one or more neglected tropical disease (NTD). Soil‐transmitted helminths (STHs), among the most common NTDs also referred to as intestinal worms, contribute to chronic malnutrition regardless of food intake.

This year’s theme is United against hunger. Join in the fight against hunger today, and take the quiz below to test your knowledge on food availability, hunger and the importance of good nutrition for children everywhere.