Luanda — More than one million children between the ages of 5 and 15 are expected to be dewormed from November 6 to 10 in Luanda, the provincial Health director, Manuel Duarte Varela told ANGOP Wednesday.

The annually-held campaign organized by the Provincial Health Directorate, with the aim to provide "albendazole" to fight neglected tropical diseases, will focus on public and private schools and churches.

Manuel Varela said the campaign aims to reduce infections by neglected tropical diseases in Luanda, improve the nutritional health status and physical growth of children and young people.

"Although these neglected diseases don't have a major impact on mortality, we have seen some cases of intestinal obstruction due to parasitosis, which leads to an acute abdomen and requires surgical intervention," the physician said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers being tropical neglected diseases the Buruli ulcer, American Trypanosomiasis, cysticercosis, dengue fever, dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), echinococcosis, fascioliasis, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

According to the WHO, tropical neglected diseases affect over 1.7 billion people who live in the world's poorest and most marginalized communities by taking away not only their health, but also their ability to attend school, earn a living or even be accepted by their family or community.

The diseases that are caused by a range of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins blind, disable and disfigure people.

Neglected diseases also show unacceptable indicators and low investment in the research sectors, as well as in the production of medicines and their control. EVC/OHA/MRA/AMP