By Sola Ogundipe

Nigeria’s progress to end the burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, such as schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), among others, could generate productivity gains to the tune of $11.4 billion between now and 2030.

But this will only be achievable if the country invests in efforts and strategies that would enable it scale up and achieve the World Health Organisation’s 2020 targets for NTDs.

A new report that demonstrates the dramatic health and economic benefits of investing in NTDs, entitled “Country Leadership and Collaboration on Neglected Tropical Diseases,” shows that if Nigeria and other endemic countries achieve the World Health Organisation’s 2020 targets for the 10 most debilitating NTDs, healthier citizens would generate an estimated US$623 billion in increased productivity between 2015 and 2030.

Further, it was revealed that for each $US1 invested in NTD scale-up in affected countries, productivity gains to the tune of US$51 from 2015-2020 and US$184 for 2021-2030, stand to be achieved.

It is the third progress report since a diverse public-private coalition of partners endorsed the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs, committing to achieve the WHO’s 2020 targets for 10 NTDs: diseases of poverty that that affect one in six people worldwide.

Launch of the new report, came on the heels of the landmark Addis Ababa Commitment on NTDs, endorsed by Nigeria’s Minister of Health along with 25 other Ministers of Health of NTD-endemic countries.

It also follows the increased attention to NTDs at the World Health Assembly and inclusion in the recent G7 Leaders’ Declaration. The report finds that countries are increasingly taking ownership of NTD programmes, have started providing new funding and are pursuing innovative approaches to combat these devastating diseases.

Uniting to

combat NTDs

Through this commitment, leaders of NTD-endemic countries promised to increase domestic investment, promote multi-sector approaches, encourage adoption of long-term strategic plans and ensure mutual support of NTD programmes.

While recognising significant progress made, the report warns that the world is yet to be in line to reach the WHO targets, in part due to an annual $200-$300 million funding gap.

The WHO estimates that low- and middle-income countries could fully fund their share of universal coverage against NTDs with less than 0.1 percent of domestic spending on health.

WHO Director of the Department of Control of NTDs, Dr. Dirk Engels noted that “It is encouraging to see increased state-level engagement and strong leadership towards ownership of national control programmes.

“Sustained political commitment, innovative domestic financing and greater coordination can bring about game-changing treatments and care to millions of people and improve the prospects of achieving WHO’s goal of universal health coverage against NTDs,” he noted.

Building on the momentum of its private citizens and foundations, in December 2011, at a meeting of the APOC governing body (JAF) in Kuwait City, the Federal government of Nigeria pledged US$5 million to the APOC Trust Fund.

Nigeria was designated Guinea worm disease-free in May 2014, but remains largely endemic to a number of other debilitating bacterial and parasitic infections.

As one of the countries hit hardest by schistosomiasis, Nigeria is expanding programmes to dramatically scale up treatments, particularly to school-age children.

Nigeria is one of 10 countries where 70 percent of people affected by schistosomiasis reside, even as 261 million people worldwide need treatment.

Nigeria is also among the 10 countries home to 80 percent of people at risk for lymphatic filariasis (1.23 million people in 58 countries are at risk).

The country is expected to complete mapping for disease prevalence – a crucial step for achieving the WHO Roadmap target – in 2015.

Background

NTDs are a group of parasitic and bacterial infectious diseases that affect over 1.4 billion of the world’s most impoverished people, including 875 million children.

The 17 NTDs prioritised by WHO are endemic in 149 countries. One in six people suffer from at least one NTD.

The diseases affect the poorest countries and communities in the world, keeping children out of school, parents out of work, and cause stunting and impaired brain development, locking societies into endless cycles of poverty.

The diseases can cause severe pain and long-term disability, and are the cause of death for over 500,000 people per year.

The report also shows for the first time the full burden of illness, disability, and deaths caused by NTDs, finding it at the same order of magnitude as the “Big Three” diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Endemic countries are increas