Together against Neglected Tropical Diseases

Malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS are among the health calamities that afflict the populations of the South of the world.

Malaria in Africa is among the first causes of death in children under five. Every year malaria hits about 250 million people, and about one million die of complications related to severe malaria. Yet malaria is curable with low-cost drugs.
In a year tuberculosis kills 1.8 million people and AIDS 2 million, two third of them in sub-Saharan Africa, and often the most productive part of the population, leaving 15 million orphans and entire countries without a future.
Diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, which can be cured with common antibiotics, are still widespread causes of illness and death.
Other diseases such as schistosomiasis, intestinal helminthiasis, lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis, are defined as "Neglected Tropical Diseases" (NTDs), because they hit the planet’s most neglected communities, and are among the most important causes of the poverty chain for entire nations in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Nevertheless, approximately one sixth of the world population suffers from these diseases which have a heavy impact on socio-economic development in these countries.

Schistosomiasis and intestinal helminthiasis afflict children in particular, delaying growth and intellectual impairment. The disabling consequences of these two diseases could be avoided and many children could grow up healthily if the treatment campaigns could cover completely the endemic areas, reaching out to people living in the most remote parts.

Some targets have been reached, but mass drug administration campaigns need to be strengthened and local governments must have support in planning the campaigns.
Effective drugs have long been on the market; the challenge is to make them available to the communities that live with this dramatic reality every day. Used in mass campaigns, these drugs prevent the chronic consequences of the diseases: however, if infectious diseases are to be prevented and eliminated, interventions must focus not only on curing sick individuals, but also on improving infrastructures and training health care workers.

Training guarantees the sustainability of any health cooperation intervention and lays the foundations for increasingly independent health care management.
The fight against malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and NTDs is a global challenge to strengthen the disadvantaged communities of the world.

So we must act now: the unmet need for health of millions of women and children can no longer wait.