Fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases in South Sudan -WHO

January 31, 2024 Hour: 4:21 pm

South Sudan with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) has teamed up to sustain the fight against neglected tropical diseases in the country where more than 12 million people are at risk of infection.

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Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health Ader Macar Aciek said the country, with support from WHO and partners, has made efforts over the recent years to tackle the threat of neglected tropical diseases by providing drugs and bolstering preventive measures in a bid to accelerate progress towards ending these diseases.

Macar said in a joint statement issued in Juba on Tuesday that “the journey to eliminating neglected tropical diseases is a long one and we are determined to finish the job by protecting everyone at risk so that they can live healthier lives.”

According to teh official, work is being carried out with partners to reach communities across the country and ensure that populations at risk receive treatment and protection from these diseases.

In South Sudan, 19/20 neglected tropical diseases are endemic, posing a huge health threat to lives of over 12M people.

With support from @WHO & partners, �� is making strides in the fight against #NTDs.

This year theme is “Unite. Act. Eliminate.”
➡️https://t.co/QL4hYCfCcf pic.twitter.com/5pBZFHmLUs

— WHO South Sudan (@WHOSouthSudan)
January 30, 2024

The WHO said in the statement that 19 of the 20 neglected tropical diseases are endemic in South Sudan where more than 12 million people are at risk of infection from these diseases which can cause severe pain, disabilities and deformities among other devastating impacts.

Neglected tropical diseases are a set of 20 diseases or disease groups that occur predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas. They include lymphatic filariasis, more commonly known as elephantiasis, onchocerciasis or river blindness, schistosomiasis, or bilharzia, as well as human African trypanosomiasis, often called sleeping sickness, chronic ulcers and other skin infections.

Fabian Ndenzako, acting WHO representative in South Sudan, said they are committed to supporting the Ministry of Health in the efforts to address the threat of neglected tropical diseases in the country.

Neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs, affect more than 1 billion people around the world, especially in poor and marginalized communities.

But NTDs are preventable, and in many cases, can be eliminated completely from countries.

This #WorldNTDDay, @WHO calls on countries to… pic.twitter.com/JnQtEV7BbX

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros)
January 30, 2024

According to WHO, several of South Sudan’s counties have more than one endemic neglected tropical disease. Elephantiasis and river blindness are endemic in 34 counties, while bilharzia and intestinal worms are endemic in 46 counties, it said.

The UN health agency said 35 counties have endemicity of elephantiasis and intestinal worms, and 36 counties have Loa loa filariasis co-endemicity.

The recent mapping of leprosy endemicity status indicates that all regions in the country are endemic for leprosy.

�� It’s World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day!

– Dengue and chikungunya��
– Leishmaniases ��
– Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)��
– Noma��
– Onchocerciasis (river blindness) ��

and other neglected tropical diseases affect over 650M people in the African Region annually. pic.twitter.com/cy68xEzEKF

— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO)
January 30, 2024

Nearly 17 million people in South Sudan have received treatment for river blindness, elephantiasis, bilharzia, trachoma and soil-transmitted worms since 2021, according to WHO.

WHO said it has supported the Ministry of Health to develop and implement a Neglected Tropical Disease Master Plan 2023-2027 which aligns with the 2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases Global Roadmap for elimination. It aims, among other goals, to eliminate targeted diseases such as bilharzia, river blindness, elephantiasis, intestinal worms and trachoma by 2030.