By Conrad Mwanawashe
Did you know that good hygiene is one of the most effective ways of preventing Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) which impair physical and cognitive development?
NTDs are a group of parasitic and bacterial diseases including but not limited to, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and trachoma, have a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities, hindering economic development and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Aspect Maunganidze said good hygiene was one of the important measures to prevent NTDs.
“We continue to work closely with local health authorities to ensure the availability and accessibility of preventive measures, such as mass drug administration, vector control, and hygiene promotion. Additionally, we continuously train healthcare workers to diagnose and treat NTDs effectively,” said Dr Maunganidze.
He was addressing media practitioners attending a workshop on neglected Tropical Diseases hosted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and supported by Higher Life Foundation.
Zimbabwe, like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, faces significant challenges in combating NTDs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that efforts to control the vectors, such as, mosquitoes, black flies, that transmit these diseases and to improve basic water, sanitation, and hygiene are also highly effective strategies against these NTDs.
The WHO road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 sets out global targets for 2030 and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate a diverse set of 20 diseases and disease groups, as well as cross-cutting targets aligned with WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work, 2019–2023 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
It also proposes strategies for attaining these targets over the next decade. The document is intended to succeed the first road map, published in 2012.
The new road map was drafted through an extensive global consultation that began in 2018 and culminated in the document’s endorsement by Member States at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in November 2020.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have emerged as a global pledge to ‘leave no one behind’. Under SDG 3, ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all’, target 3.3 extends the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) beyond HIV, TB and malaria to ‘end the epidemic’ of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030.
NTDs are referred to as “neglected” because they have been largely wiped out in the more developed parts of the world but persist in the poorest, most marginalized or isolated communities of the world.
Dr Maunganidze also emphasized the importance of prevention in the control of NTDs.
“You may be aware that prevention is key to most disease control. In fact whenever you see drugs being prescribed, it means we missed one step in prevention. Yet most diseases, if prevented, the incidence of diseases will go down.
“Of course there are some conditions which you may have because of genetic predisposition, you cannot do much. But most of the infectious diseases are preventable, so are quite a number of cancers,” said Dr Maunganidze.
Community engagement is also key in controlling NTDs.
“We recognize the importance of engaging communities in the fight against NTDs. Our interventions have prioritized community education and awareness campaigns to promote behavior change, improve hygiene practices, and reduce the risk of NTD transmission,” he added.
Some of the interventions include driving research and innovation in NTD control.
In that regard, government is collaborating with local research institutions and partners to develop new tools, technologies, and strategies to enhance the effectiveness of NTD interventions in Zimbabwe.
Government is also actively engaging with policymakers and advocate for increased political commitment and resource allocation to address NTDs effectively. By strengthening policy frameworks and integrating NTD control into national health agendas, we can ensure sustained progress in the fight against these diseases.
