Three Neglected Tropical Diseases Pose Health Threat To Over 5 Million Zimbabweans

The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Principal Director Public Health, Dr Munyaradzi Dobbie says Zimbabwe is still saddled with the burden of three Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs, namely Schistosomiasis (SCH) & Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) and lymphatic filariasis.

This was revealed during a Results dissemination Workshop for the 2021 National Geospatial mapping for the three NTD’s, namely Schistosomiasis (SCH) & Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) and 2023 Confirmatory Mapping of lymphatic filariasis in Zimbabwe in the Capital, Harare where it was revealed that 35 percent of the total Zimbabwe’s population is in need of Mass Drug Administration against the diseases.

The Geospatial Survey was conducted by the Ministry of Health through financial support from Higherlife Foundation, The End Fund Initiative, the World Health Organisation (WHO) among other partners.

Schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthiasis, lymphatic filariasis and Trachoma are chemotherapy prevantable NTDs of public health importance in Zimbabwe. Other NTDs that are specified in the country include Rabies, Anthrax, snakebites, Leprosy, Sleeping Sickness and scabies.

“As a result of their public health significance in Zimbabwe and in line with the WHO NTD Road Map (2021-2030), the Government of Zimbabwe has a commitment to the control and elimination of schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthiasis (intestinal worms), lymphatic filariasis and trachoma among other NTDs,” said Dr Dobbie.

Schistosomiasis , soil transmitted helminthiasis and Lymphatic filariasis are among the 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) identified by the World Health Organization. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical zones, where they affect more than 1 billion people who live in impoverished communities.

The NTDS are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins. These diseases cause devastating health, social and economic consequences to more than one billion people. The epidemiology of NTDs is complex and often related to environmental conditions. Many of them are vector-borne, have animal reservoirs and are associated with complex life cycles. All these factors make their public-health control challenging and thus, require multi-sectoral collaboration for their control and elimination.

Dr Innocent Hove, the Director National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) said over 5 Million Citizens are at risk of the three NTDs and are in need of Mass Drug Admistration.

“We do have strategies that we have been directed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to do Mass-Drug Administration in those wards that have the prevalence cut-of between 2 percent and above. Anything below 2 percent we qualify those wards for test and treat. We have 14,976, 801 population according to recent estimates. We are talking of 5,325, 609 people in need of Mass Drug Adminisrtaion, making up 35.6 percent. This is the statistics and that’s the reality now based on our Geospatial estimation,” said Dr Hove.

In Zimbabwe over the past decades and before 2010, major efforts were on control of schistosomiasis as evidenced by the existence of the disease in the annual national Health Profiles dating back from 1960s.

Since 2010, Higherlife Foundation has been funding Mass Drug Administration activities in Zimbabwe when the program was first evaluated and it was established that Zimbabwe has a very high level of infection of the NTDs.

Data from the Geo-Spatial Survey also indicated that approximately 312 8028 (20.0 percent) of the population are in need of Mass Drug Administration and 578 9234 (38.7 percent) require Test and Treat interventions.

Speaking in an interview with Journalists on the side-lines of the results presentation meeting, Dr Kenny Mubaiwa, the Chief Executive Officer for HigherLife Foundation said to achieve elimination of NTDs, adults cannot be left behind in the test and treat programs.

“The Mass Drug Administration is done at school age so it became very natural for us to want to support the program that helps to keep children in school. Since 2012, we have worked with the Ministry of Health in every step, from designing the programs to making sure that we reach all the provinces of Zimbabwe. Our commitment is that these NTDs are eliminated in Zimbabwe for the benefit mostly of the children and women that are affected by them,” said Dr Mubaiwa.

Zimbabwe together with Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia, formed what is called a deworming innovation fund with a focus of wanting to eliminate.

“For us as Highlife Foundation, we decided that we focus on Zimbabwe and assist the Ministry of Health to do that. Historically, Mass Drug Administrations have been done for school going age groups but if you now want to go for elimination, you cannot allow the adults not to be treated.”

He added that they would continue working with WHO and the Ministry of Health, with targets to eliminate the NTDs by 2025 and Zimbabwe was one of the country where elimination or breaking the transmission cycle was actually possible.

Mass Drug Administrations are done on an annual basis and this year the program will start during the third term before schools close. Healthtimes