'Tanzania records achievements in addressing NTDs' and other NTD news

The past three years has seen the launch of a new World Health Organization (WHO) neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) roadmap, together with revised control and elimination guidelines. Across all, there is now a clear emphasis on the need to incorporate a One Health approach, recognizing the critical links between human and animal health and the environment. Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma spp. trematodes, is a NTD of global medical and veterinary importance, with over 220 million people and untold millions of livestock currently infected. Its burden remains extremely high in certain regions, particularly within sub-Saharan Africa, despite over two decades of mass preventive chemotherapy (mass drug administration), predominantly to school-aged children. In Africa, in contrast to Asia, any zoonotic component of schistosomiasis transmission and its implications for disease control has, until recently, been largely ignored. Here, we review recent epidemiological, clinical, molecular, and modelling work across both Asia and Africa. We outline the evolutionary history and transmission dynamics of Schistosoma species, and emphasize the emerging risk raised by both wildlife reservoirs and viable hybridization between human and animal schistosomes. To achieve the 2030 WHO roadmap elimination targets, a truly multi-disciplinary One Health perspective must be implemented.

The present goal of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2021–2030 roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases is to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem, and reduce its prevalence of heavy infections to less than 1%. Given the evolution and impact of schistosomiasis in the Ngamiland district of Botswana, the aim of this study was to analyze the control policies for the district using the Policy Triangle Framework.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs), caused by helminths and protozoans, are among the most prevalent infections in humans in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of IPIs in patients referred to three educational and medical centers affiliated with Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Urmia.

Tanzania has largely reduced Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), including lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, trachoma, elephantiasis and hydrocele. The government stated this in Dar es Salaam during the 14th Global Forum on Neglected Tropical Diseases. The Non-government Organisations Network (NNN) in collaboration with CBM International contribute to the global control, elimination and management of consequences of NTDs.

Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is the second most populous country in Africa after Nigeria, and it houses 116.5 million people, making it the 13^th most populous country in the world. Ethiopia struggles with a host of infectious diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and several Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) namely lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis and trachoma.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome have launched a new request for proposals, "Strengthening Health and Disease Modelling for Public Health Decision Making in Africa."

Local modeling expertise is critical to effective public health decision-making, and the community of modelers across Africa is growing. With this in mind, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome recently co-hosted a workshop with over 100 African modelers and other stakeholders to discuss how to strengthen the public health modeling ecosystem on the continent. This request for proposals was shaped by the themes of those discussions.

Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this week. The foundation bestowed the Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award upon the couple in recognition of their “tireless work over many decades towards global health and development.” 

Canada announced the following investments in New York City, United States of America, at the United Nations General Assembly.

Eliminate Trachoma as a public health problem in 10 countries of the Americas by strengthening health care systems. The project will increase access and demand for recommended SAFE interventions; including surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvements for populations living in vulnerable conditions, including women, children, hard-to-reach, and Indigenous populations. Ultimately, the initiative will save at least 5.6 million people at risk of visual impairment or blindness and support another 4.3 million people from contracting the illness and treating it by implementing sustainable interventions within the public health care systems.