Our continent is facing many public health problems. Along with emerging threats like Covid-19 and persistent scourges like malaria, we need to remain vigilant in the face of a lesser-known challenge – the fight against neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs.
What are NTDs? A group of diverse and contagious diseases that cause severe disfigurement and other long-term disabilities affecting more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. These diseases create barriers for the affected populations in education and employment, hence for economic growth and overall development.
In total, 39% of people affected by these diseases live in Africa. Tragically, the heaviest burden of NTDs falls on the most vulnerable and marginalized people, who often live in remote areas and who lack access to health services and sanitation infrastructure.
Many people continue to suffer from these diseases today, forgotten and on the margins of our societies. There are solutions. Safe and effective care to control and eliminate NTDs costs less than 300 FCFA per person, making the fight against these diseases one of the best investments in public health.
600 million people in Africa, including millions of children, need treatment for these diseases. We must ensure that NTDs receive the attention and funding they need to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life for millions of people across the continent.
It is for all these reasons that Ecobank is partnering with Speak Up Africa, a non-profit advocacy and strategic communications organization, and mobilizing to raise awareness against NTDs in Africa. For the second time in history, World NTD Day will be celebrated on January 30, 2021.
The year 2020 marked the end of the realization of the first roadmap of the World Health Organization and a few days ago, the actors in the fight against NTDs gathered to launch the second roadmap. .
This new strategic plan includes many ambitious goals, but they can nonetheless all be achieved if we set about building strong health systems, if we empower local decision-makers, and finally if we strengthen coordination between sectors and adopt integrated approaches.
The goal of the Ecobank group here is to replicate the success it has experienced in the fight against malaria, through the “Zero Malaria!” Businesses pledge “for the benefit of the fight against neglected tropical diseases.”
This year, our “Stronger Than Worms” campaign will aim to mobilize the public in the fight against intestinal worms within the “No to NTDs” movement and to finance the deworming of children on the continent.
Intestinal worms are one of the most common infections in the world. They affect the poorest communities and cause serious health problems such as malnutrition, anemia and stunted growth.
More than 267 million preschool children and 568 million school-aged children around the world live in areas where the parasites that cause this disease are widely transmitted and therefore need treatment urgent preventive.
The extent of the suffering caused by intestinal worms in Africa is unacceptable. Especially when you know the treatment is affordable. We must all work together to raise funds and thus defeat worms once and for all. By participating in the elimination of this public health problem, we will enable the next generation of Africa to live healthy and fulfilled lives.
