In a statement released by WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that a new approach is needed if diseases such as guinea worm and yaws are to be tackled: “This means injecting new energy into our efforts and working together in new ways to get prevention and treatment for all these diseases, to everyone who needs it”.
10-year plan
This new approach was unveiled on Wednesday, in a 10-year plan which targets a 90 per cent reduction in the need for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The plan contains several concrete proposals in areas such as programme delivery, cost-effectiveness and improved coverage, and calls for programmes to be sustainable, with measurable outcomes and adequate domestic financing.
As well as causing pain and disability, NTDs hinder economic development, by preventing children from going to school and adults from going to work. Those affected by disabilities and impairments caused by