Statistics
released today at the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF Africa) in
Kigali, Rwanda, by Erasmus University show that sub-Saharan Africa could
save $52 billion (purchasing power parity) by 2030
if the region meets the World
Health Organization (WHO)’s 2020 control and elimination targets for the
five most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
These
statistics, developed with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, were released at a WEF Africa-sanctioned side event,
convened by the END Fund
to make the case for increased investments in NTD control in
sub-Saharan Africa. Her Excellency Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of
the Republic of Rwanda, delivered opening remarks, which set the stage
for this important discussion.
Meeting
these goals could also help the region gain the equivalent of 100
million life-years that would otherwise be lost to ill health,
disability and early death
arising from these diseases.
"NTD
control efforts offer a return on investment unparalleled in global
health,” said Ellen Agler, Chief Executive Officer of the END Fund, a
private philanthropic
initiative dedicated to ending the five most common NTDs. “Ending these
debilitating diseases will help reduce poverty at all levels, from
families and communities to whole nations.”
NTDs
are a diverse group of parasitic and bacterial infectious diseases that
are particularly prevalent in areas with limited access to safe water,
proper sanitation
and adequate medical services.
Sub-Saharan
Africa bears over 40% of the global burden of NTDs. The five most
common NTDs – lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), onchocerciasis
(river blindness),
schistosomiasis (bilharzia), soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal
worms) and trachoma – account for 90% of the region’s NTD burden. At
least one of these diseases is present in all 47 countries of the WHO’s
African Region.
The
impact of NTDs on both health and economic development in sub-Saharan
Africa is massive. Each year, these diseases cause disabilities and
disfigurements for
millions of African citizens. They also increase absenteeism in schools
and dramatically reduce labor productivity, ultimately perpetuating
cycles of poverty.
“I
have seen the devastating effects of NTDs first hand in my community,”
said HRH Queen Sylvia of Buganda, a kingdom in Uganda, who delivered
remarks at the side
event today. “We cannot continue to let people across Africa suffer
from these diseases of poverty when simple solutions exist. It is
holding our people and our countries back. We can and we must do more.”
The
five most common NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa can effectively be
prevented and treated using low-cost, easy-to-administer interventions,
such as preventive chemotherapy
(PC) treatments through mass drug administration (MDA) in affected
communities. Such interventions are extremely cost effective due to a
number of factors, including drug donations (valued at $4 billion
annually); the scale of national programs; the integration
of drug delivery with other health initiatives; the use of volunteers
and teachers for distribution; and the massive impact of NTD control on
economic productivity and educational outcomes. Pharmaceutical
interventions work alongside other prevention strategies,
including the promotion of safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
In
recent years, countries across sub-Saharan Africa have made tremendous
progress toward ending NTDs. Donors, development partners and national
governments have
made unprecedented commitments to these diseases, including through the
landmark
London Declaration on NTDs, launched
by a coalition of partners in January 2012, and the Addis Ababa NTD Commitment,
signed by 24 African health ministers in December 2014 declaring
increased leadership and budgetary contributions. The Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
in September 2015, specifically reference putting an
end to NTDs by 2030.
Despite
this progress, a funding gap remains to distribute medicines to the
millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa who still lack access.
Additional resources
are urgently needed from all sectors – public, private and
philanthropic – to reach the WHO’s 2020 targets for NTDs and reap the
resulting health, education and economic benefits.
Notably,
Rwanda, the host country for today’s event, has made tremendous
progress on NTDs. Thanks to the leadership of the government and the
support of partners
such as the END Fund, the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths
(intestinal worms) has been reduced by 32% over the last 5 years.
However, much remains to be done for the country to eliminate NTDs.
“Now
is the time for leaders across Africa to prioritize NTD control and put
an end to these terrible diseases in order to improve the lives of our
people,” said
Rwandan Minister of Health Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, who also spoke at the
event. “In Rwanda, we have invested in our people, and we have seen
progress as a result of this commitment. With human lives at stake, we
simply cannot afford to wait.”
No comments:
Post a Comment