Africa's fight against NTDs has been a mixed bag of results with some recorded wins even though ongoing challenges remain /STAR ILLUSTRATIONInaruralcommunityinGuinea,ayounggirlwhowouldhavestruggledtostayawakeinclass,her days clouded by fatigue, headaches and confusion, can now return to school after receiving treatment for Human African Trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness.
For her, and thousands like her across Africa, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are no longer an invisible and silent burden but an increasingly solvable problem.
Africa'sfightagainstNTDshasbeenamixedbagofresultswithsomerecordedwinseventhough ongoing challenges remain.
NTDsareagroupofdiseases,somewidelyrecognisedandotherslargelyoverlooked.Theyinclude sleepingsickness,elephantiasis(lymphaticfilariasis),bilharzia(schistosomiasis),riverblindness (onchocerciasis), trachoma andsoil-transmittedhelminths andothers.
Together, thesediseases still affect more one 1 billion people worldwide, mainly the most vulnerable populations in underservedregions.Thesediseasesareparasitic,bacterialandviralinfectionsthathavelimited children’s education, reduced adults’ ability to work and trapped families in cycles of poverty.
Progresshasbeenunevenacrossregions.InEastAfricaalone, NTDs accountedformorethan12million disability-adjusted life years lost in 2019, with an estimated $2.6 billion (about Sh335 billion) in lost economic productivity, figures that are now beginning to fall as coverage expands.
In recentyears, Africa has emergedasa leading force in reversing this trajectory, even asglobal financing for NTDs has tightened and donor priorities shift.
Across the continent, national programmes have delivered more than 2.3 billion preventive treatments,with more than 20 countries now reaching or nearing elimination targets for one or more NTDs.
These advances signal not onlyprogressindiseasecontrol,butabroadershiftinAfrica’sscientific,politicalandoperational capacity to tackle infectious diseases at scale.
Several African countries have made striking gains against diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and bilharzia. Togo became the first country in the world to eliminate four NTDs, including lymphatic filariasis and trachoma, while Benin and Ghana have each eliminated three.
Niger has been validated as freeof river blindness, and Chad has eliminated gambiense sleeping sickness, a historic step for a disease that once devastated entire communities. These are exemplary countries for when innovation and funding meet policy and political will.
These achievements reflect the positive impacts of sustained mass drug administration campaigns, strengthened surveillance systems and the integration of NTD interventions into primaryhealthcareplatforms.
Communityhealthworkershavebeenattheheartofthisprogress, reaching millions ofhouseholds with preventivetreatments, health education andfollow-up care.
Alongside community-focused interventions, research institutions in Africa and our local manufacturing capacity are shifting the needle towards elimination. Universities and research consortia such as the Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases Research Capacity Development in West and Central Africa in Senegal are training the next generation of African scientists to design locally relevant solutions for malaria and selected NTDs.
At the same time, local diagnostic production and pharmaceutical manufacturers such as BioMérieux Tunisia (Tunisia), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal), Kenya Medical Research Institute – diagnostics units and Inqaba Biotec (South Africa) are stepping up to produce rapid tests and other tools. This reduces dependence on imported products and building resilience against future shocks.
Thesearerealsignsofprogress.
Integrated planning and coordination are bringing our joint efforts closer to communities. National governments, regional agencies, philanthropic organisations, bilateral donors and the private sector have coordinated financing, technical assistance and accountability mechanisms.
The African Union andthe African Leaders Malaria Alliance have strengthened political leadership and peer accountability through scorecard tools and heads-of-state and government engagement.
These accountability mechanisms have
helped raise visibility, mobilise domestic and donor resources and accelerate
action across multiple countries.
However, despite these gains, the truth is, we are in a long game and in a time that calls for strategic endurance. Declining overseas development assistance and shifting global health priorities arealready placing strain on NTD programsin several countries.
Early reports shared with WHO indicate that abrupt cuts have delayed 47 mass treatment campaigns, putting 143 million people at risk of missing life-saving interventions and postponing elimination targets in at least 10 countries.
In tandem, climate change is shifting where and how these diseases spread, bringing infections likebilharziaandriverblindnessintocommunitiesthatwereoncerelativelysafefromthem.Poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, weak health systems and fragile supply chains remain major barriers, particularly in conflict-affected and remote areas.
Beinginthelonggamerequires
resilienceinstayingthecoursethroughsetbacksandchallenges.
We need to proceed with adaptative strategies if we want to win.
Governments must scale up domestic investment and integrate NTD services into primary healthcare while global partners continue to sustain financing that is aligned behind African-led priorities.
Meaningful youth engagementisalsocritical,asyoungpeopleplayabig roleincommunitymobilisation,advocacy, innovation and sustaining momentum toward NTD elimination.
At our disposal is a tested blueprint of
what works. Africa’s experience with NTDs shows what is possible when political
leadership, scientific innovation and partnerships converge around a shared
goal.Without urgent action, one of
the most achievable public health victories of our time risks slipping away.
Phumaphi is the executive secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance
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