Ethiopia Striving to End Neglected Tropical Disease: MoH

Addis Ababa September 09/2018 Ethiopia is undertaking a comprehensive campaign to end neglected tropical diseases (NTD) and increase access for treatment, according to the Ministry of Health. In briefing journalists, Nebiyu Negussu, NTD Program Team Leader at the Ministry said efforts have been made to end NTDs that prevail in various parts of the country as per the health sector transformation plan. Of the total 20 NTDs, a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries, nine are found in Ethiopia. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected. Trachoma, guinea worm, scabies, leishmaniasis, podoconiosis, lymphatic filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis and Soil-transmitted helminth are the nine NTDs identified in Ethiopia. According to him, tangible results have been gained in the activities undertaken to reduce prevalence of most of the diseases. “The ministry has successfully managed to pull down the prevalence of leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar to 1.7 percent in which the national plan was to reach 3 percent by 2020,” he pointed out. Despite the absence of prescribed medication by WHO, Ethiopia is undertaking different applicable treatments to prevent kala-azar, he added. Moreover, Nebiyu added that the country has managed to reduce the prevalence of trachoma in 89 woredas, while was able to treat 65 percent of trachoma infected people and 35 percent of lymphatic filariasis affected people. While addressing the NTD NGO Network (NNN) conference kicked off today in Addis Ababa, NNN Chairperson, Tanya Wood appreciated Ethiopia’s efforts in reducing prevalence of these diseases. “Ethiopia has eliminated trachoma from 35 districts just last year and stopped Onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis in six districts,” she said. The Conference that bringing about 500 policy makers, researchers, donors on focusing of sharing knowledge and lessons learned will further illustrate the importance of civil society and government partnership to end NTDs. NNN was established in 2009 to combat NTDs, which are treatable and preventable diseases that continue to affect over one billion of the world's most impoverished, marginalized people living in remote communities.