Background

Prof Wellington

PROF OYINBO

Malaria remains an important public health disease that has bedeviled mankind and continues to persist in malaria endemic countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa where the most lethal species, Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent. This dominant species results in complications that leads to death especially among children under the age of five years of age with severe morbidity that leads to out-of-pocket spending while. Among pregnant women, another vulnerable group, malaria causes maternal death, poor development the growing child in the mother, spontaneous abortion, low-birth weight among other issues. The Global cases of malaria are 216 million cases from the 2018 World Malaria Report and the over 90% of deaths resulting from malaria occur in Africa. The current strategy is to achieve zero death due to malaria and a significant reduction in malaria transmission, thus its burden in order to achieve pre-elimination and elimination of the disease. Nigeria is unfortunately still in the control phase and represents one of the high burden countries where urgent interventions to reduce the burden are being increased.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

A diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.Effective control can only be achieved when selected public health approaches are combined and delivered locally. Interventions are guided by the local epidemiology and the availability of appropriate measures to detect, prevent and control diseases. Implementation of appropriate measures with high coverage will contribute to achieving the targets on neglected tropical diseases, resulting in the elimination of many and the eradication of at least two by 2020.

In May 2013, the 66th World Health Assembly resolved to intensify and integrate measures against neglected tropical diseases and to plan investments to improve the health and social well-being of affected populations. 

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The diseases listed by WHO in the NTD portfolio in 2017 are: 

1. Buruli ulcer

5. Echinococcosis

9. Leprosy (Hansen's disease)

13. Rabies

16. Soil-transmitted helminthiases

2. Chagas disease

6. Foodborne trematodiases

10. Lymphatic filariasis

14. Scabies and other ectoparasites

17. Snakebite envenoming

3. Dengue an Chikungunya

7. Human African trypanosomiasis                          (sleeping sickness)

11. Mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and                    other deep mycoses

15. Schistosomiasis

18. Taeniasis/Cysticercosis

20. Yaws (Endemic treponematoses)

4. Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease)

8. Leishmaniasis

12. Onchocerciasis (river blindness)

16. Soil-transmitted helminthiases

19. Trachoma

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