On the occasion of the launch of the 2021-2030 roadmap to fight neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) last Thursday, the Minister of Health, Eteni Longondo, praised to the WHO, the efforts of the DRC, with its health partners including the DNDi in the fight against these diseases. The fight against NTDs is commemorated on January 30 of each year.
For Eteni Longondo, the DRC has already engaged in the fight against 12 of the Neglected Tropical Diseases, which are endemic in the country.
“Overall, twelve neglected tropical diseases are endemic in my country. These include lymphatic filariasis, geohelminthiasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma, dracunculiasis, leprosy, plague, yaws, rabies, human African trypanosomiasis, and Buruli ulcer. These diseases constitute a real public health problem and are rampant in a co-endemic way in the health districts. The country is resolutely committed, with the technical and financial partners who work tirelessly by our side for the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases including DNDi, by implementing the various strategies recommended by the WHO and progress towards the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases, ”said Eteni Longondo.
According to the Minister of Health, the country is moving towards the eradication of some of these diseases.
“In fact, nearly 528,745 people no longer need treatment against trachoma and the results of PRE TAS in 28 health districts are satisfactory. Investigations to verify the absence of transmission of dracunculiasis are carried out in 24 provinces out of a total of 26 provinces and the laboratory results of 6 suspected cases reported were negative. This has allowed my country to be classified as non-endemic to dracunculiasis and awaiting certification of eradication, ”he adds.
He continued: “It should also be mentioned that the significant downward trend in the number of cases of human African trypanosomiasis as well as the downward trend in the prevalence of schistosomiasis in several sentinel sites are reassuring. Sleeping sickness and dracunculiasis are respectively in the pre-phase of elimination and certification of eradication in my country ”.
Despite the progress made, Eteni Longondo says that more efforts will have to be made to achieve the objectives that the country has set for itself in the fight against neglected tropical diseases.
“Indeed, the situation of certain NTD-PCC still remains worrying in my country, this is the case of leprosy where 3,206 new cases were detected in 2019, classifying the country among those which still carry a significant burden in Africa or even in the world. The situation of Yaws, which is a disease to be eradicated, is not yet well understood, ”he lamented.
The roadmap for the fight against neglected tropical diseases, in November 2020 by the World Health Assembly. The document, titled “Tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030”, which aims to accelerate programmatic action and provide new momentum by proposing measures focused on integrated platforms for the delivery of interventions and thereby improve cost-effectiveness and program coverage.
These infectious diseases affect more than 1.7 billion people and affect the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.
Thérèse Ntumba
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