Mapping, monitoring, and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases: towards a policy framework

Baker, Margaret; Mathieu, Els; Fleming, F.; Deming, Michael S.; Jd, King; Garba, Amadou; Koroma, JB; Bockarie, Moses J.; Kaboré, Achille; Sankara, Dieudonné; Dh, Molyneux

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(09)61458-6

Cited by 71 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…A crucial consideration for the effective integration of preventive chemotherapy for neglected tropical diseases is whether schistosoma infection overlaps with filariasis, onchocerciasis, intestinal worm infections, and trachoma, 122 which are all targeted for control through preventive chemotherapy. Climate measures and digital topography linked with data from past population-based surveys can broadly predict where schistosome transmission is possible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human schistosomiasis

et al. 2014

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Human schistosomiasis—or bilharzia—is a parasitic disease caused by trematode flukes of the genus Schistosoma. By conservative estimates, at least 230 million people worldwide are infected with Schistosoma spp. Adult schistosome worms colonise human blood vessels for years, successfully evading the immune system while excreting hundreds to thousands of eggs daily, which must either leave the body in excreta or become trapped in nearby tissues. Trapped eggs induce a distinct immune-mediated granulomatous response that causes local and systemic pathological effects ranging from anaemia, growth stunting, impaired cognition, and decreased physical fitness, to organ-specific effects such as severe hepatosplenism, periportal fibrosis with portal hypertension, and urogenital inflammation and scarring. At present, preventive public health measures in endemic regions consist of treatment once every 1 or 2 years with the isoquinolinone drug, praziquantel, to suppress morbidity. In some locations, elimination of transmission is now the goal; however, more sensitive diagnostics are needed in both the field and clinics, and integrated environmental and health-care management will be needed to ensure elimination.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human schistosomiasis

et al. 2014

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“…The first step in this process is to review the available data, followed by collecting missing data by conducting prevalence surveys. Currently, each NTD program has its own methodology [8]. Conducting multiple surveys in the same country can be costly and burdensome to national disease programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conducting multiple surveys in the same country can be costly and burdensome to national disease programs. As a result, prevalence surveys are only conducted when funding has been secured, and data to help international partners and program managers with planning and advocacy, and drug donation programs with drug projections are unavailable in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa [8]. For this reason, there is a need for feasible and practical protocols that can be implemented by Ministries of Health and whose results are accepted by WHO and drug donation programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Field-Testing of a Novel Integrated Mapping Protocol for Neglected Tropical Diseases

et al. 2011

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BackgroundVertical control and elimination programs focused on specific neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) can achieve notable success by reducing the prevalence and intensity of infection. However, many NTD-endemic countries have not been able to launch or scale-up programs because they lack the necessary baseline data for planning and advocacy. Each NTD program has its own mapping guidelines to collect missing data. Where geographic overlap among NTDs exists, an integrated mapping approach could result in significant resource savings. We developed and field-tested an innovative integrated NTD mapping protocol (Integrated Threshold Mapping (ITM) Methodology) for lymphatic filariasis (LF), trachoma, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH).Methodology/Principal FindingsThe protocol is designed to be resource-efficient, and its specific purpose is to determine whether a threshold to trigger public health interventions in an implementation unit has been attained. The protocol relies on World Health Organization (WHO) recommended indicators in the disease-specific age groups. For each disease, the sampling frame was the district, but for schistosomiasis, the sub-district rather than the ecological zone was used. We tested the protocol by comparing it to current WHO mapping methodologies for each of the targeted diseases in one district each in Mali and Senegal. Results were compared in terms of public health intervention, and feasibility, including cost. In this study, the ITM methodology reached the same conclusions as the WHO methodologies regarding the initiation of public health interventions for trachoma, LF and STH, but resulted in more targeted intervention recommendations for schistosomiasis. ITM was practical, feasible and demonstrated an overall cost saving compared with the standard, non-integrated, WHO methodologies.Conclusions/SignificanceThis integrated mapping tool could facilitate the implementation of much-needed programs in endemic countries.

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“…Target obsession would surely be related to monitoring and evaluation. The most recent overview of monitoring and evaluation by Baker et al [15] is not quoted by Allen and Parker; neither do they refer to the detailed data produced by WHO in the Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) for all the NTDs in a systematic way each year or to peer reviewed publications on several programmes. All up-to-date country data are available on line at WHO NTD sites referring specifically to each NTD disease on an annual basis, for example [31,41,42] with information on target numbers and reported coverage where appropriate.…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neglected Tropical Diseases and the Millennium Development Goals-why the "other diseases" matter: reality versus rhetoric

Molyneux

Malecela

2011

Parasites Vectors

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Since 2004 there has been an increased recognition of the importance of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) as impediments to development. These diseases are caused by a variety of infectious agents - viruses, bacteria and parasites - which cause a diversity of clinical conditions throughout the tropics. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defined seventeen of these conditions as core NTDs. The objectives for the control, elimination or eradication of these conditions have been defined in World Health Assembly resolutions whilst the strategies for the control or elimination of individual diseases have been defined in various WHO documents. Since 2005 there has been a drive for the expanded control of these diseases through an integrated approach of mass drug administration referred to as Preventive Chemotherapy via community-based distribution systems and through schools. This has been made possible by donations from major pharmaceutical companies of quality and efficacious drugs which have a proven track record of safety. As a result of the increased commitment of endemic countries, bilateral donors and non-governmental development organisations, there has been a considerable expansion of mass drug administration. In particular, programmes targeting lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma and soil transmitted helminth infections have expanded to treat 887. 8 million people in 2009. There has been significant progress towards guinea worm eradication, and the control of leprosy and human African trypanosomiasis. This paper responds to what the authors believe are inappropriate criticisms of these programmes and counters accusations of the motives of partners made in recently published papers. We provide a detailed response and update the information on the numbers of global treatments undertaken for NTDs and list the success stories to date.The paper acknowledges that in undertaking any health programme in environments such as post-conflict countries, there are always challenges. It is also recognised that NTD control must always be undertaken within the health system context. However, it is important to emphasise that the availability of donated drugs, the multiple impact of those drugs, the willingness of countries to undertake their distribution, thereby committing their own resources to the programmes, and the proven beneficial results outweigh the problems which are faced in environments where communities are often beyond the reach of health services. Given the availability of these interventions, their cost effectiveness and the broader development impact we believe it would be unethical not to continue programmes of such long term benefit to the "bottom billion".

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Mapping, monitoring, and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases: towards a policy framework

Cited by 71 publications

References 54 publications

Human schistosomiasis

Human schistosomiasis

The Field-Testing of a Novel Integrated Mapping Protocol for Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected Tropical Diseases and the Millennium Development Goals-why the "other diseases" matter: reality versus rhetoric

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