Tag Archives: soil transmitted helminths

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.

The Global Network, Fundación Mundo Sano and the Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales Partner to Tackle NTDs in Argentina

Global Health, Latin America and the Caribbean, NTDs, poverty, Public Health, Water and Sanitation, , , , , , , , , , , , strongyloides,

Today the Global Network announced its partnership with the Fundación Mundo Sano and the Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales in efforts to fight Strongyloides and other Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) in Argentina by implementing a new pilot project. This project will begin in the Department of Oran in the Province of Salta, Argentina, and will include data collection in the areas of impact, monitoring, and evaluation of mass treatment for both Strongyloides and STH to add to current and ongoing programs throughout Latin America. The pilot will act as a starting point for the implementation of community-based interventions to address the public health burden of NTDs on poor populations in Argentina.

We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with Fundación Mundo Sano and the Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales! This development is especially exciting because Stronglyloides are one of the most “neglected” tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly in Latin America where 200 million people suffer from NTDs. Children are especially susceptible – 30 percent of preschool age in this region are affected by Stronglyloides, and more than 50 percent are infected by hookworm. Furthermore, Strongyloides is rarely targeted for community based interventions (due to difficulties in diagnosis), and this pilot program will attempt to overcome this hurdle, deeming the project that much more paramount. Doing these community based interventions is all a part of the process for controlling and eliminating NTDs; it’s important to involve the affected communities and empower them with the notion that they are in control of their own health. And for that reason and many more, we feel that this brand new partnership brings us that much closer to ridding the world of NTDs for good!