NAS Medical Mission joins the global community in marking World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, a vital call to action to end the suffering caused by these devastating yet preventable diseases. This year’s theme is United. Act. Eliminate. is quite instructive in its attempt to galvanize more robust actions towards mitigating the horrific impacts of these diseases.
Neglected tropical diseases are a group of parasitic, bacterial, viral, and fungal infections that disproportionately affect over 1 billion of the world’s poorest people. These diseases—including Leprosy, Dengue Fever, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted Helminthiasis, Onchocerciasis (River Blindness), Rabies, and Trachoma—cause severe disfigurement, disability, chronic pain, blindness, and even death. Despite their significant health and economic burden, NTDs remain largely overlooked in global health priorities, leading to thousands of preventable fatalities annually.
Despite the limited progress made in recent years, achieving a world free from NTDs remains elusive. As a medical intervention and advocacy group with a core mandate to care for, inform, and treat health problems in the most underserved communities, we propose that efforts towards ridding the world of these distressing maladies must focus on:
1. Delivering Treatment: Mass drug administration (MDA) and innovative healthcare delivery systems to ensure life-saving medicines reach affected communities.
2. Reducing Transmission: Improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives, alongside vector control measures, are essential in halting the spread of NTDs.
3. Managing Disability: Ensuring access to medical care, physiotherapy, and community-based rehabilitation programs to help those already affected regain independence.
4. Combating Stigma: Many NTDs lead to social exclusion and discrimination. Public awareness and education are crucial in erasing the stigma surrounding these diseases.
Despite the aforementioned progress in different regions of the world, several challenges hinder efforts to eradicate NTDs. These include:
– Funding Gaps & Changing Financial Landscapes: Many NTD programs depend on donor support, and shifting funding priorities threaten their sustainability.
– Inconsistent Country Ownership & Political Commitment: Some governments fail to prioritize NTD interventions, leading to weak health policies and inadequate resource allocation.
– Dwindling Capacities & Expertise: A shortage of trained healthcare workers limits effective diagnosis, treatment, and disease management in affected regions.
– Uneven Progress: While some NTDs have seen significant reductions, others remain widespread, with disparities in control efforts across countries.
– Data Gaps: Reliable disease burden statistics are essential for tracking progress and securing funding, yet many endemic regions struggle with data collection.
– Migrations & Conflicts: Wars, displacement, and refugee crises disrupt healthcare access, leaving many vulnerable populations untreated.
– Climate Change: Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are expanding the range of vector-borne NTDs such as malaria, dengue, and schistosomiasis.
Focus on Leprosy in Nigeria
Leprosy remains a significant public health concern in Nigeria, where thousands still suffer from its disfiguring effects. The prevalence of this ancient chronic mycobacterial infectious disease is a scary prospect. Leprosy.org.uk reports that in 2022, 2,393 people in Nigeria were diagnosed with leprosy, including 155 children. The report went further to state that 100 million Nigerians are at risk of neglected tropical diseases, including leprosy.
Though curable with multidrug therapy, many leprosy patients face delays in diagnosis, leading to irreversible disability. Stigma continues to drive exclusion, preventing those affected from seeking medical care or reintegrating into society. Addressing leprosy in Nigeria requires intensified case-finding, community education, and sustainable rehabilitation programs.
In conclusion, the fight against neglected tropical diseases is winnable. By encouraging global partnerships, increasing investments, and ensuring sustained political commitment, we can achieve a world free from these preventable diseases. NAS Medical Mission remains dedicated to advocacy, awareness, and grassroots interventions to support vulnerable communities.
On this World NTDs Day, we call on the federal and state governments in Nigeria, stakeholders, and the global health community to intensify efforts towards eliminating these diseases. We particularly urge Big Pharma to significantly scale investments in research towards developing more efficacious treatment drugs.