Promising Progress On Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins. More than a billion people are affected by neglected tropical diseases globally. Africa accounts for nearly 40% (400 million people) of the global burden.

The diseases thrive in areas that lack quality and affordable health care services, where access to clean water and sanitation is also a big problem. These diseases can be devastating, including causing severe pain, disabilities and deformities, malnutrition, stunted growth, and cognitive impairment. Anemia caused by some of these diseases has a direct impact on maternal mortality, according to the World Health Organization.

Africa has made great strides towards the elimination goals. Leprosy has all but been eliminated as a public health problem, with only the Comoros yet to achieve the elimination goal in one of its three islands. Forty-one African countries have been certified free of Guinea worm - a crippling parasitic disease.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing for certification this year. Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo have been validated for eliminating sleeping sickness as a public health problem. Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda have started the validation process towards elimination.

Nigeria is still battling 14 of the 20 neglected tropical diseases listed. Nigeria accounts for about 25% of the burden of NTDs in Africa, people living with NTDs often face stigma and discrimination, largely due to a lack of awareness about what NTDs and their symptoms are, and how they can be treated. But there is plenty of hope because NTDs can be very effectively controlled, eliminated, or eradicated, through combined public health measures, effective treatment, and greater community awareness. 

The World Health Organization has called for an international push to confront the inequalities that characterize NTDs, and ensure the poorest and most marginalized communities who are the most impacted, receive the health services they need. With the launch of the Neglected Tropical Disease global roadmap in 2021 and the development of the African Tropical and Vector-borne Disease framework for 2022-2030, WHO hopes to build on the lessons from previous neglected tropical disease programmes, including innovations emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic response, to support countries in developing multi-year master plans.