Reporting progress on NTDs amenable to mass treatment in the African Union.
African countries with lower national incomes are outperforming some richer nations on the continent in the fight against diseases of poverty known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), according to a new league table ranking.
We have compiled a league table showing how well countries are doing in the fight against NTDs.
For more information on the table, click here.
Table includes all countries in Africa which are endemic for at least one of the five neglected tropical diseases.
The goal of the Africa Health Strategy (AHS) 2016–2030 is to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being for all in Africa, in the context of 'Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want' and the SDGs. Increasing investments in health and reducing the burden of disease are key objectives in the AHS. Seeking to end NTDs is seen as a priority to achieve the strategy.
This task force will facilitate knowledge sharing across the continent, whilst ensuring that drug commitments from pharmaceutical companies are fully utilised every year and that global elimination targets are met.
194 member states have agreed to WHO's 5-year strategic plan. This sets a target to eliminate at least one NTD in 30 countries between 2019 and 2023, globally. The African Union can show leadership and support SDG 3.3 by setting a specific target for Africa towards this global goal, which can be resourced and monitored.
NTD treatment and prevention is highly cost-effective. The most common NTDs can be mass treated at a cost of less than US$0.50 per person, per treatment.
Most drugs required for NTD treatment are donated by the pharmaceutical industry. This generous support is valued at US$17.8 billion to 2020, and was recognized with a Guinness World Record in January 2017. Yet not everyone who needs treatment receives it. For every US$1 invested in delivery, US$26 of drugs are donated.
A number of countries have demonstrated that eliminating NTDs is not just a pipe dream.