Newswise — As part of an effort to reduce neglected tropical diseases in developing nations, RTI International, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development, has launched an integrated treatment program in five African countries.
"The program aims to provide treatments of safe and effective drugs globally to populations that are affected by neglected tropical diseases," said Mary Linehan, deputy director of RTI's Neglected Tropical Disease Control Program. "These diseases cause severe disability and sickness and cause a tremendous amount of economic and education delay in the population. Our approach is to provide treatment on an annual basis with the expectation that the burden of disease of the affected population will decline to a level below a public health problem."
At least 1 billion people -- one-sixth of the world's population -- suffer from one or more neglected tropical diseases.
These preventable diseases cause blindness, worm infestation, severe enlargements of limbs such as legs and feet, and impair childhood growth. The diseases are still prevalent and common in much of the developing world, and together they cause severe disability in the world's poorest countries, resulting in billions of dollars of lost productivity.
Through grants from RTI, the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative at Imperial College London (SCI) have begun implementing the integrated treatment program in Ghana, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. RTI is working with SCI and ITI in Uganda to scale up the neglected tropical diseases treatment to the national level. The program will be expanded to several additional countries over the next five years.
The project is designed to treat about 40 million people annually for five years, targeting countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that have a high prevalence of the targeted diseases and have recognized them as a national health priority.
The program focuses on mass drug distribution for the control or elimination of five of the most prevalent neglected diseases -- trachoma (eye infections), soil-transmitted helminths (hookworm, ascaris, trichuris), onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis (snail fever) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).
These particular diseases were chosen because they can be treated through large-scale integrated programs using safe and effective drugs donated through public-private partnerships.
"These neglected tropical diseases rarely result in death, but rather cause severe deformities that leave people stigmatized and unable to work," Linehan said. "This program provides a cost-effective way to treat a lot of illnesses on a very large-scale among affected populations."
Through a collaborative effort, RTI and its partners are working with the ministries of health and other local organizations to develop treatment programs that best meet the needs of each country.
"Through the administration of these drugs, people are definitely getting better," said Agatha Aboe, M.D., International Trachoma Initiative Ghana representative. "With this program, we are looking forward to a future generation of children who grow up free of these diseases, who can contribute effectively to the social and economic development of their community and their country, and indeed who will be of tremendous use to the whole world."
About RTI International RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. With projects in more than 40 countries and a staff of more than 2,600, RTI offers innovative research and technical solutions to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, democratic governance, economic and social development, energy, and the environment. For more information, visit http://www.rti.org.
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