'Trachoma No-Longer Prevalent In West Pokot County' and other NTD news

Human onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, mainly occurs (more than 99% of infected people globally) in 31 countries of the tropical areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is transmitted by the bite of a black fly of the species Simulium and caused by infection from the filarial nematode (roundworm), Onchocerca volvulus. It is responsible for permanent blindness and one of the tropical, traveling diseases prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for prevention and control. To eliminate onchocerciasis-associated blindness, it is important to identify areas where there is still high ongoing disease burden. Although the recent study has emerged highlighting the prevention and overall burden of onchocerciasis in Africa,^1,2 there is no evidence on the prevalence and burden of onchocerciasis-associated blindness and vision loss (BVI) as well as its severity throughout this region in detail.

Trachoma, which according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) is among the 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), and is the primary infectious cause of blindness worldwide, is no longer prevalent in West Pokot County.

During a stakeholder meeting on eye care, organized by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Fred Hollows Foundation held at a hotel in West Pokot County, Samuel Koringura, the county eye coordinator, declared that the trachoma disease is no longer active and ceases to be a public health concern in the region.

The MIHOSO International Foundation has intensified community education to stem the spread of Neglected Tropical Diseases, endemic at border communities in the Dormaa Municipality of the Bono Region. The day's sensitization organised by the MIHOSO forms part of a two-year project the foundation is partnering with Basic Need Ghana, another NGO, to implement to enhance the quality of life of vulnerable and affected people in the area.

Titled "Building Civil Society Coalition to Advocate an Integrated Approach to Control Skin-NTDs and Enhance the Quality of Life of Vulnerable and Affected People in Ghana," the project sought to contribute towards prevention, control and elimination of the ND's infection, ameliorating the mental health and psychosocial impact of debilitating the disease and social stigma.

The Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) says the prevention and treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) will be included in the second round of Oral Polio vaccination in the state.

The Health Education Officer, EDSPHCDA, Mrs. Irene Uabor, disclosed this during the Social Mobilization Committee Stakeholders meeting for the second round of polio vaccination in the state on Thursday in Benin. Uabor said NTDs drugs (tablets) would be given to children in the six endemic local government areas of the state. She listed the areas as Akoko Edo, Owan East, Owan West, Ovia North East, Ovia South West and Uhunmwonde.

The network of Buruli ulcer PCR laboratories (BU-LABNET) in the WHO African Region concluded its fifth annual meeting held at the esteemed Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra, Ghana on 23–25 October 2023. This meeting marked a pivotal milestone in the fight against Buruli ulcer and other skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs) in the WHO African Region: the transition of the network from BU-LABNET to Skin NTD LABNET.

The videos in this playlist are recordings of the different breakout sessions from the 2023 COR-NTD Annual Meeting. The Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) receives financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development through its Neglected Tropical Disease Program. The information provided in these videos is not official government information and does not represent the views or positions of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States government.