Bisola David
Nigeria and 15 other nations have the highest loads of neglected tropical diseases, according to a World Health Organization research on the subject.
The Punch reported that from the data made public on Monday, 16 nations are responsible for 80% of the world’s NTD cases.
The nations with the biggest burdens of NTDs are also the countries with the fastest population growth, according to the research “Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2023.”
Every January 30 is designated as World NTD Day. This year’s theme is “Act now. Act together. Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases.”
Over one billion people who live in underdeveloped communities are affected by NTDs, a diverse group of 20 diseases that are primarily prevalent in tropical regions.
Numerous pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungus, and toxins, are responsible for the disorders.
According to the WHO research, financial and COVID-19 interruptions are not the only obstacles standing in the way of achieving the 2030 targets and the only causes of sluggish development.
It stated that it was also necessary to address organizational and programmatic deficiencies.
“First, high-burden nations should be developing more quickly; the burden of NTDs is unevenly distributed among nations, with 16 nations bearing 80% of the total global load.
“As of 2021, three of them had an increase in the number of persons needing NTD interventions, while six other countries saw a reduction of 50% or more. The remaining seven countries witnessed a reduction of more than 50%.
“High-burden nations must be the emphasis if we are to have an impact on the world”.
The report stated in part, “Second, the weakest disease programmes could hamper overall progress towards overarching targets: many countries are endemic for numerous NTDs; for instance, more than three-quarters of African countries are co-endemic for at least five NTDs.”
“Countries with the largest NTD burdens will also have the fastest population growth.
“According to the United Nations’ World Population Prospects 2022 report, eight nations—the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Republic of Tanzania—will account for more than half of the increase in the world’s population between now and 2050.
“All of them are among the 16 nations with the greatest prevalence of NTDs. The acceleration of NTD services must at least be greater than the pace of population growth in order to appropriately handle NTDs, it was underlined”.
In a similar event, Nigeria has around 25% of all NTDs in Africa, with millions of people at danger, according to the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire.
With millions of people at risk, Nigeria is home to about 25% of all NTDs in Africa, including Lymphatic Filariasis (122 million cases), Onchocerciasis (33 million cases), Schistosomiasis (20.8), Soil-Transmitted Helminths (29.4 million cases), Trachoma (5.3 million cases), and Human African Trypanosomiasis (6.5 million cases).
“During the colonial era, Iran and Algeria had some of the highest NTD rates, along with Egypt and Yemen. It is now well acknowledged that controlling and eradicating NTDs depends on addressing social determinants of health such inadequate access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Ehanire declared, “This needs to be popularized in Nigeria.”
The minister continued by saying that the country’s ability to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals will be greatly aided by the management and eradication of NTDs.
