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Restarting Neglected Tropical Diseases Programs in West Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Best Practices.
Kabore, Achille; Palmer, Stephanie L; Mensah, Ernest; Ettiegne-Traore, Virginie; Monteil, Rose; Sintondji, Franck; Tine, Justin; Tesfaye, Daniel; Ogoussan, Kisito; Stukel, Diana; Fuller, Brian B; Sanchez, Katherine; Pou, Bolivar; Dembele, Benoit; Weaver, Angela; Reid, Steven; Milord, Marie Denise; Kassankogno, Yao; Seim, Anders; Shott, Joseph.
  • Kabore A; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Palmer SL; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Mensah E; FHI 360, Accra, Ghana.
  • Ettiegne-Traore V; FHI 360, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
  • Monteil R; FHI 360, Dakar, Senegal.
  • Sintondji F; FHI 360, Cotonou, Benin.
  • Tine J; FHI 360, Accra, Ghana.
  • Tesfaye D; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Ogoussan K; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Stukel D; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Fuller BB; Helen Keller International, New York, New York.
  • Sanchez K; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Pou B; FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia.
  • Dembele B; Helen Keller International, Dakar, Senegal.
  • Weaver A; Helen Keller International, New York, New York.
  • Reid S; Helen Keller International, New York, New York.
  • Milord MD; Health and Development International, Newburyport, Massachusetts.
  • Kassankogno Y; Health and Development International, Lomé, Togo.
  • Seim A; Health and Development International, Fjellstrand, Norway.
  • Shott J; Neglected Tropical Diseases Division, Office of Infectious Diseases, Global Health Bureau, USAID, Washington, District of Columbia.
Am J Trop Med Hyg ; 105(6): 1476-1482, 2021 Oct 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1478300
ABSTRACT
Countries across West Africa began reporting COVID-19 cases in February 2020. By March, the pandemic began disrupting activities to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as health ministries ramped up COVID-19-related policies and prevention measures. This was followed by interim guidance from the WHO in April 2020 to temporarily pause mass drug administration (MDA) and community-based surveys for NTDs. While the pandemic was quickly evolving worldwide, in most of West Africa, governments and health ministries took quick action to implement mitigation measures to slow the spread. The U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Act to End NTDs | West program (Act | West) began liaising with national NTD programs in April 2020 to pave a path toward the eventual resumption of activities. This process consisted of first collecting and analyzing COVID-19 epidemiological data, policies, and standard operating procedures across the program's 11 countries. The program then developed an NTD activity restart matrix that compiled essential considerations to restart activities. By December 2020, all 11 countries in Act | West safely restarted MDA and certain surveys to monitor NTD prevalence or intervention impact. Preliminary results show satisfactory MDA program coverage, meaning that enough people are taking the medicine to keep countries on track toward achieving their NTD disease control and elimination goals, and community perceptions have remained positive. The purpose of this article is to share the lessons and best practices that have emerged from the adoption of strategies to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus during MDA and other program activities.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Neglected Diseases / Mass Drug Administration / SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 / Anti-Infective Agents / National Health Programs Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Africa / North America Language: English Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Neglected Diseases / Mass Drug Administration / SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 / Anti-Infective Agents / National Health Programs Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Africa / North America Language: English Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Year: 2021 Document Type: Article