scholarly journals Restarting Neglected Tropical Diseases Programs in West Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Best Practices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achille Kabore ◽  
Stephanie L. Palmer ◽  
Ernest Mensah ◽  
Virginie Ettiegne-Traore ◽  
Rose Monteil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
West Africa ◽  
International Development ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Health Ministries

Countries across West Africa began reporting COVID-19 cases in February 2020. By March, the pandemic began disrupting activities to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as health ministries ramped up COVID-19–related policies and prevention measures. This was followed by interim guidance from the WHO in April 2020 to temporarily pause mass drug administration (MDA) and community-based surveys for NTDs. While the pandemic was quickly evolving worldwide, in most of West Africa, governments and health ministries took quick action to implement mitigation measures to slow the spread. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Act to End NTDs | West program (Act | West) began liaising with national NTD programs in April 2020 to pave a path toward the eventual resumption of activities. This process consisted of first collecting and analyzing COVID-19 epidemiological data, policies, and standard operating procedures across the program’s 11 countries. The program then developed an NTD activity restart matrix that compiled essential considerations to restart activities. By December 2020, all 11 countries in Act | West safely restarted MDA and certain surveys to monitor NTD prevalence or intervention impact. Preliminary results show satisfactory MDA program coverage, meaning that enough people are taking the medicine to keep countries on track toward achieving their NTD disease control and elimination goals, and community perceptions have remained positive. The purpose of this article is to share the lessons and best practices that have emerged from the adoption of strategies to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus during MDA and other program activities.

Deployment of State-of-the-Art Horizontal Pumping System HPS Technology in Two Water Wells to Avoid ESP Workovers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Nahed Alrabeh ◽  
Zulkiflie Bin Samsudine ◽  
Salvador Alejandro Ruvalcaba Velarde ◽  
Faisal Mohammed Alhajri
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Artificial Lift ◽  
Cooling Unit ◽  
Trial Test

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present the findings obtained from a detailed engineering evaluation resulting from trial testing two state-of-the-art surface horizontal pumping systems (HPS's) in two water supply wells. The two horizontal pumping systems were deployed as an alternative to downhole electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) to provide the benefits of eliminating ESP workover costs, modularity regarding wellsite deployments, and enhanced maintenance operations. For this trial test evaluation method, two HPS's were deployed to boost water production to the water injection plant (WIP). To ensure a thorough evaluation, the trial test well candidates were designed to accommodate both a subsurface ESP as well as a surface HPS to provide an accurate comparison, and representation, between the different artificial lift methods. The trial test and comparison method described in this paper focused primarily on the following items; maintenance and well intervention requirements, evaluation of operational availability, including potential for cavitation and effects of interference, maximum production rates, as well as root cause engineering evaluations for mechanical seals and cooling unit auxiliary motors. Various best practices and mitigation measures were identified and are presented in this paper. With regard to the results, it was observed that each artificial lift method comprised a set of advantages and disadvantages. The decision on which type of technology to use can be dependent on several factors. Overall, the HPS's demonstrated the ability to supply water production to the WIP. The HPS did experience operational challenges in providing higher production requirements. Additional challenges were also observed in the sealing mechanism as well as the auxiliary cooling unit. Precautionary pump tripping automated protocols were taken to prevent pump cavitation due to sub-optimal intake pressure resulting from possible interference. The HPS, unlike the ESPs, did not require any workover as it is located at the wellsite and therefore resulted in substantial cost savings and was easy to maintain due to its surface application. In summary, this paper adds a new and very beneficial evaluation of HPS's, and highlights best practices and lessons learned to the existing body of literature. The new information discussed in this paper is highly beneficial to engineering selections of artificial lift methods and to the successful implementation of HPS's in the industry.

scholarly journals Rapid mapping of schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases in the context of integrated control programmes in Africa

Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 136 (13) ◽  
pp. 1707-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. BROOKER ◽  
N. B. KABATEREINE ◽  
J. O. GYAPONG ◽  
J. R. STOTHARD ◽  
J. UTZINGER
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Rapid Mapping ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Risk Communities

SUMMARYThere is growing interest and commitment to the control of schistosomiasis and other so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Resources for control are inevitably limited, necessitating assessment methods that can rapidly and accurately identify and map high-risk communities so that interventions can be targeted in a spatially-explicit and cost-effective manner. Here, we review progress made with (1) mapping schistosomiasis across Africa using available epidemiological data and, more recently, climate-based risk prediction; (2) the development and use of morbidity questionnaires for rapid identification of high-risk communities of urinary schistosomiasis; and (3) innovative sampling-based approaches for intestinal schistosomiasis, using the lot quality assurance sampling technique. Experiences are also presented for the rapid mapping of other NTDs, including onchocerciasis, loiasis and lymphatic filariasis. Future directions for an integrated rapid mapping approach targeting multiple NTDs simultaneously are outlined, including potential challenges in developing an integrated survey tool. The lessons from the mapping of human helminth infections may also be relevant for the rapid mapping of malaria as its control efforts are intensified.

scholarly journals Cervical cancer: lessons learned from neglected tropical diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e299-e300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia Marie Knaul ◽  
Natalia M Rodriguez ◽  
Héctor Arreola-Ornelas ◽  
Julia R Olson
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Tropical Diseases

scholarly journals Frequency and distribution of neglected tropical diseases in Mozambique: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berta Grau-Pujol ◽  
Marilia Massangaie ◽  
Jorge Cano ◽  
Carmen Maroto ◽  
Alcino Ndeve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect more than one billion people living in vulnerable conditions. In spite of initiatives recently contributing to fill NTDs gaps on national and local prevalence and distribution, more epidemiological data are still needed for effective control and elimination interventions. Main text Mozambique is considered one of the countries with highest NTDs burden although available data is scarce. This study aims to conduct a systematic review on published available data about the burden and distribution of the different NTDs across Mozambique since January 1950 until December 2018. We identified manuscripts from electronic databases (Pubmed, EmBase and Global Health) and paper publications and grey literature from Mozambique Ministry of Health. Manuscripts fulfilling inclusion criteria were: cross-sectional studies, ecological studies, cohorts, reports, systematic reviews, and narrative reviews capturing epidemiological information of endemic NTDs in Mozambique. Case-control studies, letters to editor, case reports and case series of imported cases were excluded. A total of 466 manuscripts were initially identified and 98 were finally included after the revision following PRISMA guidelines. Eleven NTDs were reported in Mozambique during the study span. Northern provinces (Nampula, Cabo Delgado, Niassa, Tete and Zambezia) and Maputo province had the higher number of NTDs detected. Every disease had their own report profile: while schistosomiasis have been continuously reported since 1952 until nowadays, onchocerciasis and cysticercosis last available data is from 2007 and Echinococcosis have never been evaluated in the country. Thus, both space and time gaps on NTDs epidemiology have been identified. Conclusions This review assembles NTDs burden and distribution in Mozambique. Thus, contributes to the understanding of NTDs epidemiology in Mozambique and highlights knowledge gaps. Hence, the study provides key elements to progress towards the control and interruption of transmission of these diseases in the country.

scholarly journals Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Burundi: Partnerships, Achievements, Challenges, and Lessons Learned after Four Years of Programme Implementation

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e2684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onésime Ndayishimiye ◽  
Giuseppina Ortu ◽  
Ricardo J. Soares Magalhaes ◽  
Archie Clements ◽  
Johan Willems ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Programme Implementation

scholarly journals The Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Case Study Exemplifying How Foreign Assistance Funding Can Be Catalytic in Reducing the Burden of Major Global Health Conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Wainwright ◽  
Darin Evans ◽  
Lisa Rotondo ◽  
Bolivar Pou ◽  
Violetta Yevstigneyeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Lymphatic Filariasis ◽  
International Development ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Foreign Assistance ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
At Risk Populations

Abstract In 2006, following direct advocacy and published rationale, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) established a neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) program to support the scale-up of integrated platforms to target the elimination and control of 5 NTDs—lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. By 2017, more than 2.3 billion NTD treatments had been delivered to at-risk populations in 25 countries, leveraging $19 billion in donated drugs—approximately $26 dollars in donated medicine per $1 spent by USAID. As a result, most of the supported countries are on track to achieve their elimination goals (for lymphatic filariasis and trachoma) by 2020 or 2021 and their control goals soon thereafter. Though “small” when compared to other global health initiatives, this investment proved to be catalytic, and indeed highlights how foreign assistance funding can be transformative, in reducing the burden of major global health conditions such as NTDs.

scholarly journals Implementation of mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases in Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. e0009807
Author(s):  
Fatoumata Sakho ◽  
Christelly Flore Badila ◽  
Benoit Dembele ◽  
Aissatou Diaby ◽  
Abdoul Karim Camara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Administration ◽  
Mass Drug Administration ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
First Case ◽  
Household Members ◽  
Health Organization

Background Guinea reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020. Soon thereafter, a national state of emergency was declared, all land borders were closed, schools were shut down, and public gatherings were limited. Many health activities, including field-based activities targeting neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), were paused. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued updated guidance on the resumption of NTD field-based activities on July 27, 2020. In response, the Guinea Ministry of Health (MoH) and its partners planned and resumed mass drug administration (MDA) in mid-August to September 2020 in 19 health districts. Methodology/principal findings A risk-benefit assessment was conducted to identify potential risks associated with the MDA in the COVID-19 context. Following this assessment, a risk mitigation plan with barrier measures was developed to guide MDA implementation. These measures included COVID-19 testing for all national staff leaving Conakry, mask wearing, social distancing of two meters, and hand washing/sanitizing. A checklist was developed and used to monitor compliance to risk mitigation measures. Data on adherence to risk mitigation measures were collected electronically during the MDA. A total of 120 checklists, representing 120 community drug distributor (CDD) teams (two CDDs per team) and 120 households, were completed. Results indicated that washing or disinfecting hands was practiced by 68.3% of CDD teams, compared to 45.0% among households. Face masks to cover the mouth and nose were worn by 79.2% of CDD teams, while this was low among households (23.3%). In 87.5% of households, participants did not touch the dose pole and in 88.3% of CDD teams, CDDs did not touch the hands of the participants while giving the drugs. A large majority of CDD teams (94.2%) and household members (94.2%) were willing to participate in the MDA despite the pandemic. The epidemiological coverage was ≥65% for lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis and soil-transmitted helminths in 10 out of 19 HDs and ≥75% for schistosomiasis for school-aged children in 7 out of 11 HDs. Conclusions/significance Guinea was one of the first countries in Africa to resume MDA activities during the COVID-19 pandemic without causing an observed increase of transmission. The development of a risk mitigation plan and a method to monitor adherence to barrier measures was critical to this unprecedented effort. The rapid incorporation of COVID-19 barrier measures and their acceptance by CDDs and household members demonstrated both the adaptability of the National NTD Program to respond to emerging issues and the commitment of the MoH to implement NTD programs.

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