ABSTRACT
This article provides a brief overview of the 31st meeting of the International TaskForce for Disease Eradication (ITFDE) that was convened at The Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, USA on 20-21 October 2020 to discuss "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eradication and elimination programmes and the way forward." It highlights the results of 7 eradication programmes, with specific conclusions and recommendations for each: Guinea Worm Eradication Programme(dracunculiasis;GWEP);Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI);elimination programmes for measles and rubella (MR), malaria, river blindness (onchocerciasis;RB), and lymphatic filariasis (LF);and the program for the Global Elimination of Trachoma.
ABSTRACT
This article is a 2021 update on the WHO report on the impact of COVID-19 on neglected tropical diseases (NTD) and the response appropriated by the WHO. In January 2021, and after almost 2 years of wide-ranging consultations, WHO launched the new NTD roadmap for 2021-2030 that provides a framework and actions to drive progress towards a world free of NTDs, contributing during this decade to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through: fundamental shifts that put countries, communities and people at the centre of the agenda;supportive cross-sectoral actions, such as health, education, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene and;sustaining and accelerating progress towards the 2030 goals. Furthermore, the roadmap provides opportunities to evaluate, assess, and adjust programmatic actions, as and when needed, over the next decade by setting clear targets and milestones. Another distinct feature of this roadmap is to drive greater ownership by national and local governments, including communities. The overarching 2030 global targets are to: (1) reduce by 90% the number of people requiring interventions against NTDs;(2) have at least 100 countries having eliminated at least one NTD;(3) eradicate 2 diseases (dracunculiasis and yaws) and;(4) reduce by 75% the DALYs related to NTDs. The roadmap will enable future measuring of progress towards eradication, elimination and control of the 20 NTDs by tracking disease-specific targets. Additionally, the roadmap includes 10 cross-cutting targets relevant to progress in the areas of integration, multisectoral coordination, universal health coverage, and country ownership. Examples include a reduction by more than 75% in the number of deaths from vector-borne NTDs such as dengue and leishmaniasis;100% access to basic water supply, sanitation, and hygiene in areas endemic for NTDs;75% integrated treatment coverage index for preventive chemotherapy;90% countries including NTDs in their package of essential services, and 90% countries collecting and reporting NTD data disaggregated by gender.