Project Details

Main Objective

To provide an expert opinion on systematically reviewed evidence on targeted interventions, aimed at facilitating the effective prevention and control of NTDs among vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, through addressing socio-behavioral determinants and other factors that increase risk of delayed diagnosis, identification, onward transmission, treatment interruption, drug resistance, treatment failure, retention and adherence to quality service and preventable death.

Description

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a group of diverse diseases that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide but have until recently received limited attention from the affluent regions in the country. They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. Uganda has endemic NTDs with 12 NTDs namely: Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), Buruli ulcers, Tungiasis, Dracunculiasis (Guinea worms), Plague, Trachoma, Leishmaniasis. The Pop at risk /each PC NTDs: Schistosomiasis: 3,866,814, STH: 5,400,000; Onchocerciasis: 943,025, LF: 4,850,766; Trachoma: 9,910,845. More than 10 million people, 12% of the country’s population suffer from one or more NTDs. These diseases affect the country’s’ most vulnerable populations, almost exclusively poor and powerless people living in rural areas and urban slums of low-income societies. Their impact on individuals and communities is devastating. Many of them cause severe disfigurement and disabilities, including blindness.

NTDs do not have a prominent cultural figure to champion the cause. They have been underestimated since many are asymptomatic and have long incubation periods. The connection between a death and a neglected tropical disease that has been latent for a long period of time is not often realized. Areas of high endemicity are often in geographically isolated areas and poor communities with limited access to health care, inadequate information, making treatment, control measures and prevention much more difficult.

Prevention and eradication are important because "of the appalling stigma, disfigurement, blindness and disabilities caused by NTDs. Establishing a biological research institute into neglected tropical diseases is important and prevention supplemented as a social and development outreach. Other attempts to alleviate some of the surrounding factors (such as poverty, poor sanitation, overcrowding, poor healthcare etc.) greatly exacerbate the conditions brought on by neglected tropical diseases. GRONET will strengthen the goal of sustained eliminations, rather than quickly addressing symptoms