scholarly journals Community Based Chagas Control Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  

In 2012, World Health Organization published the first ever Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Roadmap, entitled “Accelerating Work to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Roadmap for Implementation.” This report brought international attention to Chagas and other NTDs and provided a framework to guide implementation of policies and strategies set out in the Global Plan to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases 2008-2015. Chagas disease, endemic to Bolivia, is considered the third most common parasitic disease globally, after malaria and schistosomiasis. It is estimated that six to seven million persons are infected worldwide. [1] Bolivia has the highest rate of endemic Chagas disease in the Americas. Chagas disease is both a disease of poverty and, like other neglected tropical diseases, poverty promoting. [2] Chagas disease is associated with multiple social and environmental determinants in communities marked by poverty. Salient among the main determinants are poor-quality dwellings, social instability, the combined presence of certain environmental factors, such as the Chagas vectors, mammals that serve as reservoirs of the disease and human exposure, creating the conditions for perpetuating the effective transmission of the infection and its endemicity. These challenges put pregnant women, young children and children with disabilities at especially high risk for contracting Chagas disease. Left untreated, Chagas disease can lead to serious heart, digestive and neurological conditions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kush K. Maheshwari ◽  
Debasish Bandyopadhyay

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect a huge population of the world and majority of the victims belong to the poor community of the developing countries. Until now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 20 tropical diseases as NTDs that must be addressed with high priority. However, many heterocyclic scaffolds have demonstrated potent therapeutic activity against several NTDs. Objective: There are three major objectives: (1) To discuss the causes, symptoms, and current status of all the 20 NTDs; (2) To explore the available heterocyclic drugs, and their mechanism of actions (if known) that are being used to treat NTDs; (3) To develop general awareness on NTDs among the medicinal/health research community and beyond. Methods: The 20 NTDs have been discussed according to their alphabetic orders along with the possible heterocyclic remedies. Current status of treatment with an emphasis on the heterocyclic drugs (commercially available and investigational) has been outlined. In addition, brief discussion of the impacts of NTDs on socio-economic condition is included. Results: NTDs are often difficult to diagnose and the problem is worsened by the unhealthy hygiene, improper awareness, and inadequate healthcare in the developing countries where these diseases primarily affect poor people. The statistics include duration of suffering, numbers affected, and access to healthcare and medication. The mechanism of actions of various heterocyclic drugs, if reported, have been briefly summarized. Conclusion: Scientists and pharmaceutical corporations should allocate more resources to reveal the in-depth mechanism of actions of many heterocyclic drugs that are currently being used for the treatment of NTDs. Analysis of current heterocyclic compounds and development of new medications can help in the fight to reduce/remove the devastating effects of NTDs. An opinion-based concise review has been presented. Based on available literature, this is the first effect to present all the 20 NTDs and related heterocyclic compounds under the same umbrella.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 739-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Sullivan

The World Health Organization lists a constellation of 17 tropical diseases that afflict approximately one in six individuals on the planet and, until recently, few resources have been devoted to the treatment and eradication of those diseases. They are often referred to as the diseases of the “bottom billion,” because they are most prevalent among the poorest individuals in impoverished tropical nations. However, the few studies that have been performed reveal an extraordinary world of molecular and cellular adaptations that facilitate the pathogens’ survival in hosts ranging from insects to humans. A compelling case can be made that even a modest investment toward understanding the basic molecular and cell biology of these neglected pathogens has a high probability of yielding exciting new cellular mechanisms and insights into novel ways of combating these diseases.


2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 247-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Angelo L. Lindoso ◽  
Ana Angélica B.P. Lindoso

Poverty is intrinsically related to the incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The main countries that have the lowest human development indices (HDI) and the highest burdens of NTDs are located in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Among these countries is Brazil, which is ranked 70th in HDI. Nine out of the ten NTDs established by the World Health Organization (WHO) are present in Brazil. Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, dengue fever and leprosy are present over almost the entire Brazilian territory. More than 90% of malaria cases occur in the Northern region of the country, and lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis occur in outbreaks in a particular region. The North and Northeast regions of Brazil have the lowest HDIs and the highest rates of NTDs. These diseases are considered neglected because there is not important investment in projects for the development of new drugs and vaccines and existing programs to control these diseases are not sufficient. Another problem related to NTDs is co-infection with HIV, which favors the occurrence of severe clinical manifestations and therapeutic failure. In this article, we describe the status of the main NTDs currently occurring in Brazil and relate them to the HDI and poverty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. e0009373
Author(s):  
Adriano Casulli

The second World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day was celebrated on 30 January 2021. To mark the occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its roadmap for NTDs for the period 2021 to 2030, which is aimed at increasing prevention and control of these too-long neglected diseases. Described here is a global overview on past achievements, current challenges, and future prospects for the WHO NTDs roadmap 2021–2030.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. e0009351
Author(s):  
Jaspreet Toor ◽  
Jonathan I. D. Hamley ◽  
Claudio Fronterre ◽  
María Soledad Castaño ◽  
Lloyd A. C. Chapman ◽  
...  

Locally tailored interventions for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are becoming increasingly important for ensuring that the World Health Organization (WHO) goals for control and elimination are reached. Mathematical models, such as those developed by the NTD Modelling Consortium, are able to offer recommendations on interventions but remain constrained by the data currently available. Data collection for NTDs needs to be strengthened as better data are required to indirectly inform transmission in an area. Addressing specific data needs will improve our modelling recommendations, enabling more accurate tailoring of interventions and assessment of their progress. In this collection, we discuss the data needs for several NTDs, specifically gambiense human African trypanosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths (STH), trachoma, and visceral leishmaniasis. Similarities in the data needs for these NTDs highlight the potential for integration across these diseases and where possible, a wider spectrum of diseases.


Author(s):  
Gabrielle Laing ◽  
Marco Antonio Natal Vigilato ◽  
Sarah Cleaveland ◽  
S M Thumbi ◽  
Lucille Blumberg ◽  
...  

Abstract The forthcoming World Health Organization road map for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) 2021–2030 recognises the complexity surrounding control and elimination of these 20 diseases of poverty. It emphasises the need for a paradigm shift from disease-specific interventions to holistic cross-cutting approaches coordinating with adjacent disciplines. The One Health approach exemplifies this shift, extending beyond a conventional model of zoonotic disease control to consider the interactions of human and animal health systems within their shared environment and the wider social and economic context. This approach can also promote sustainability and resilience within these systems. To achieve the global ambition on NTD elimination and control, political will, along with contextualised innovative scientific strategies, is required.


Author(s):  
Obijiofor Aginam

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of diseases that are prevalent among the poorest populations of the world. They pose a formidable obstacle to the socioeconomic development of the already impoverished communities where they are prevalent. Over the past several decades the World Health Organization (WHO)—as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work—has led global efforts to tackle the mortality and morbidity burdens of NTDs. In partnership with other actors, WHO’s global NTD Plan and Roadmap have oscillated between the politics and financial constraints of the organisation as an intergovernmental organisation of sovereign states and the lack of incentives to catalyse private and corporate actors towards effective action. The global politics of NTDs is now firmly anchored on public-private partnerships. These partnerships nonetheless raise questions about the moral obligation towards underwriting the cost of eradicating these diseases in the developing world. The chapter argues that enlightened self-interest and humanitarianism should compel the industrialised world towards a pragmatic action to address the mortality and morbidity burdens of NTDs among the poorest populations of the world.


Author(s):  
Martin Walker ◽  
Jonathan I D Hamley ◽  
Philip Milton ◽  
Frédéric Monnot ◽  
Sally Kinrade ◽  
...  

Abstract Drug-based interventions are at the heart of global efforts to reach elimination as a public health problem (trachoma, soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis) or elimination of transmission (onchocerciasis) for five of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases tackled via the World Health Organization preventive chemotherapy strategy. While for some of these diseases there is optimism that currently available drugs will be sufficient to achieve the proposed elimination goals, for others—particularly onchocerciasis—there is a growing consensus that novel therapeutic options will be needed. Since in this area no high return of investment is possible, minimizing wasted money and resources is essential. Here, we use illustrative results to show how mathematical modelling can guide the drug development pathway, yielding resource-saving and efficiency payoffs, from the refinement of target product profiles and intended context of use, to the design of clinical trials.


PLoS Medicine ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. e283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Savioli ◽  
Dirk Engels ◽  
Denis Daumerie ◽  
Jean Jannin ◽  
Jorge Alvar ◽  
...  

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