Collaboration is the key to beating Neglected Tropical Diseases, says UK Coalition against NTDs

As highlighted in ‘Promises to Progress: The First Annual Report on the London Declaration on NTDs’ released today, the past year has seen many successes in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) – a group of infectious diseases which affect more than one billion of the world’s poorest people.  Whilst celebrating these achievements, the UK Coalition against NTDs is also stressing the need for continued collaboration and integration in 2013 so progress can be made towards eliminating ten of these diseases by 2020.

Caroline Harper, Chair of the UK Coalition against NTDs, and Chief Executive of member NGO Sightsavers, says: “Many of the steps forward in the fight against NTDs over the past 12 months are the result of public and private partners working together.  One of the biggest achievements is the development of the London Declaration Scorecard as a new tool to unite all NTD partners.  It will drive collaborative working, outlining the responsibilities of the wide variety of partners involved. 

“This shift in the way we are working as a community gives me hope for the future.  However, it is essential that this continues, for example, with partners across different sectors including health, education, water and sanitation working together.  Only by pooling expertise, resources and research can NTD elimination become a reality.”

The ‘Promises to Progress’ Report and the WHO’s new NTD report ‘Sustaining the Drive to overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases’, clarify the path forward whilst identifying the challenges in fighting these debilitating diseases.    

The UK government signified its commitment to NTDs by announcing £195m funding in January 2012 to support NTD control and elimination, protecting more than 140 million people. This includes support to make Guinea Worm the second human disease ever to be eradicated by 2015 and the provision of £10.6m to complete the global mapping of blinding NTD trachoma. 

“Thanks to support from DFID and other donors, significant progress has been made on NTD elimination and eradication agendas,” says Caroline Harper.  “Despite these success stories the NTD community still faces an annual funding gap of almost US$300 million which is preventing key elements of elimination programmes from being brought to scale.  We as a coalition are keen to see further donor commitments to ensure a positive future for the millions of people living at risk of these terrible diseases.”    

First Annual Report on the London Declaration on NTDs launched
 

Today marks the launch of a new report, From Promises to Progress. This report reflects on the 12 months since the London Declaration meeting last January and highlights successes in 2012 as well as goals and challenges for 2013.  

Alongside this report, the WHO has also launched its second NTD report, Sustaining the Drive to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases, which discusses the path to achieving 2020 goals, identifies challenges and proposes plans to address each disease. Together, these reports offer a united way forward for the NTD community. The reports, press release and full version of the NTD scorecard are now available here.

Read the UK Coalition reponse to the reports  here

APPG report launched

The NTD Report for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases was launched on 6th November. 

The report was launched by the Lords' Speaker Baroness D'Souza, Baroness Northover, Government Spokesman in the House of Lords on International Development and Government Whip and Dr Lorenzo Savioli,  Director, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization. 

The report charts the progress of NTDs through 2012 reflecting on highlights such as the UK Government’s commitment to provide funding of £240 million to NTDs over 4 years and the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases which united pharmaceutical companies, donors, endemic countries and non-government organisations in their fight against NTDs.

The report also serves as the UK NTD Coalition's 2012 Annual report.

The full report is available to download here

A Future Free of Lymphatic Filariasis: Reaching the vision by scaling-up, scaling down and reaching out

The seventh meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis will take place in 18th-19th November in Washington. For more information go to filariasis.org

Overarching themes

• Achieving 2020 objectives: What do we need to do to eliminate lymphatic filariasis by 2020 in all endemic countries?
• Lining up the linkages: Who are our partners and how do we link with them?

DAY 1: Sunday, 18th November
	OPENING SESSION
1400-1420	Welcome by the Chair of the GAELF	Dr Patrick Lammie
	Opening speech	TBA
1420-1500	ARE WE ON TRACK FOR 2020? MODERATOR:  Dr. Pat Lammie
1420-1440	LF Strategic Plan	Dr. Lorenzo Savioli
1440-1500	Regional Progress	Ricardo Thompson
1500-1700	HIGHLIGHTING SUCCESS
1500-1545	Panel session: Highlighting success in scaling up MODERATOR:  Mr Andy Wright Haiti Malawi India Liberia Discussion	Dr. Abdel Direny Dr. Square Mkwanda Dr. Pradeep Srivastava Mr Karsor Kollie
1545-1615	Tea Break
1615-1700	Panel session: Highlighting success in scaling down MODERATOR:  Dr. Adrian Hopkins Togo Ghana Viet Nam Philippines Discussion	Dr. Monique Dorkenoo Dr. Nana Kwadwo-Biritwum Dr. Do Trung Dung Dr. Leda Hernandez
1700-1800	Representative Contact Group Business Session	Dr. Maged el-Setouhy
DAY 2 : Monday, 19th November
0900-1030	MEETING PROGRAMME CHALLENGES
	Panel session: Reaching the Unreached MODERATOR: Professor Moses Bockarie Sierra Leone DRC Liberia Papua New Guinea Discussion	Dr. Mustapha Sonnie Dr Benoit Kebela Mr Karsor Kollie Dr. Leo Makita
	Panel session: How can we accelerate the process? MODERATOR: Dr. Frank Richards Indonesia Nigeria Tanzania Discussion	Dr. Rita Kusriastuti Dr. Mansur Kabir Dr. Upendo Mwingira
1030-1100	Tea
1100-1200	Panel Session: Strategies for Achieving Disability Prevention and Morbidity Management MODERATOR: Ms. Ann Varghese Developing a national programme for lymphedema management Community-based support for lymphedema patients New therapeutic options for lymphedema The African Morbidity Project Discussion	Dr. Monique Dorkenoo Mr. Jonathan Rout Dr. Achim Hoerauf Dr.Serigne Gueye
1200-1300	Lunch
1300-1430	LINKING THE PROGRAMMES MODERATOR:  Dr. Adiele Onyeze New partnerships with onchocerciasis programme Extending the benefits Two programmes: A shared goal - LF and trachoma A partnership with the malaria progammes Discussion	Dr. Adrian Hopkins Dr. David Addiss Dr. Teshome Gebre Dr. Frank Richards
1430-1500	TEA
1500-1600	GAELF: the next chapter Moderator: Dr. Eric Ottesen Strategic partnerships The future of GAELF in the post-London Declaration  environment Discussion	Dr. Neeraj Mistry Professor David Molyneux
1600-1700	Conclusions and Recommendations	Dr. Patrick Lammie
1700	Announcement and introduction of new Executive Group
1730	Closing of meeting

WaterAid lead WASH sessions at NTD NGDO Network meeting

Over the past year, WaterAid has increasingly engaged in initiatives for the control and prevention of NTDs. Among other activities, WaterAid has joined the UKCNTD, attended the meeting of the Global Alliance for Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 in Washington DC, and is part of a consortium led by Sightsavers and ITI for trachoma mapping.

In early September, WaterAid Australia joined the meeting of the NTD NGDO Network in Sydney , during which it lead a plenary session on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and NTDs. The session included presentations on the links between WASH and NTDs, an overview of the role of WASH in NTD control strategies, and examples of co-implementation of WASH and NTD programmes, as well as key supply and demand approaches for sanitation and hygiene. The session provided an opportunity to discuss the necessary steps to deepen and scale up collaboration between WASH and NTD actors for successful and sustainable elimination of WASH-related NTDs.

CALENDAR UPDATE

Meetings

Disease specific NTD meetings (onchocerciasis/LF; trachoma; schistosomiasis/STH)

Where:                        World Bank, Washington DC

When:             Friday, 16^th November

Reception:     Evening, Friday, 16^th November

NTDS 2020 – Building Momentum following the London Declaration

Where:            World Bank, Washington DC

When:             Saturday, 17^th November and morning of Sunday, 18^th November

7^th meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

Where:            World Bank, Washington DC

When:             Afternoon, Sunday, 18^th November and Monday, 19^th November

Additional details including registration regarding all the above will be posted as soon as available.

SAFE Strategy Helps Reduce Intestinal Parasites

A 2011 investigation shows that after five years of implementation of the SAFE strategy for trachoma con­trol, the prevalence of intestinal parasites in children ages 2–15 years has decreased in 10 woredas (districts) of South Gondor, Ethiopia. The SAFE strategy refers to surgery, antibiotics (Zithromax, donated by Pfizer), facial cleanliness, and envi­ronmental improvement. Distribution of albendazole also may have played a role in the decline. In addition, the frequency of protozoan infections warrants an investiga­tion of water quality.

 

The bloody urine of this Nigerian boy indicates

that he suffers from schistosomiasis.

Photo: E. Staub/The Carter Center

A total of 2,338 stool specimens were collected from randomly selected children in 99 communities. (All selected children were offered deworming treat­ment regardless of participation.) The specimens were processed and linked to survey data from a total of 2,657 children (88 percent response). The mean age of children providing specimens was 6.8 years (SD 3.6), and 46.8 percent of the specimens were from boys. The zonal-level prevalence of roundworm (Ascaris), hookworm, whip worm (Trichuris), and any of these three infec­tions was 10.6 percent, 9.8 percent, 2.5 percent, and 20.1 percent, respectively.

The prevalence of intestinal schisto­somiasis was 2.0 percent, but the propor­tion of children infected with schistoso­miasis by community ranged from 0–52.4 percent. Intense helminth infections (≥100 eggs per gram) were observed for roundworm only (16.4 percent of infec­tions) and no other helminth infection. The prevalence of infection with any protozoan was 78.1 percent, and 23.0 percent of children had Giardia cysts in their stool.

Figure 1 shows the improvements in household-level sanitation and water access that have occurred in South Gondar zone since 2000 prior to any SAFE interventions. SAFE interventions were piloted in a few areas until 2003, and by 2006 the implementation of SAFE activities was at scale in all woredas within the zone. Cumulatively, 339,913 household latrines have been constructed, increasing household ownership from 1 percent to 44.4 percent.

Prevalence of worm infections has reduced significantly since a previous survey in 1995 (see Figure 2). While the proportion of children infected with hookworm was not significantly lower than in 1995, none of the current infec­tions were intense. Ascaris and trichuris are transmitted through the fecal-oral pathway, which is affected by the pres­ence of hygiene and sanitation, whereas hookworm is transmitted percutaneously through the feet. In rural Ethiopia, chil­dren are often barefoot, making them more susceptible to this type of infection. A total of 945,991 doses of mebendazole or albendazole were distributed within the zone to preschool-age children in 2005–2011, yet the proportion of this target population that reported taking this medicine was 33.0 percent (24.4–41.5 percent).

Improvements in sanitation and perhaps recent albendazole distribution among preschool-age children have played a role in the observed decline in intestinal helminthiasis. In addition to continued promotion of hygiene and household-level sanitation through the SAFE strategy, expansion of the cur­rent deworming program to school-age children should be considered accord­ing to guidelines of the World Health Organization. The frequency of protozoan infections suggests poor water quality or unsanitary water collection and storage practices, calling for further study.

The Carter Center assists the Amhara National Regional State Health Bureau to eliminate blinding trachoma through the implementation of the SAFE strategy (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improve­ment). The aim of the F component is to reduce contamination of fingers, flies, and fomites by keeping faces free of infectious discharge. The promotion of facial hygiene involves face and hand washing to prevent transmission of C. trachomatis, which also prevents transmission of other infections spread by contact with infec­tious material. The E component aims to improve access to water and sanitation and encourages water use for hygiene purposes. The combined effects of the F and E aspects of SAFE should have an indirect benefit on intestinal parasites, respiratory tract infections, and diarrheal diseases.

Article originally appeared in the August 2012 issue of Eye of the Eagle, a biannual newsletter published by The Carter Center.

For more information:Visit www.cartercenter.org