Research priorities to support the development of integrated national strategies to control skin-neglected tropical diseases

Abstract

Background Skin-presenting neglected tropical diseases (skin-NTDs) impose large burdens on affected people, families and communities. The NTD Roadmap 2021–2030 presents a strategic plan to guide collaborative, multisectoral action to overcome these burdens, defining targets to control, eliminate and/or eradicate skin-NTDs by 2030. One of its targets is for 40 countries to adopt integrated skin-NTD strategies. Despite this high-level support for integration, only four countries were implementing integrated skin-NTD strategies in 2020. Methods We hosted workshops at the 2021 annual meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs, to discuss the operationalisation of Roadmap goals into national strategies and interventions for skin-NTD control. Speakers included NTD Programme Managers from NTD-endemic countries, technical experts and researchers of different aspects of skin-NTDs. Results Challenges include community perceptions of interventions, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of integrated care, availability and accessibility of community-based and primary healthcare services, the quality of data on skin-NTD morbidity and changes to operational structures required for integration. Research priorities included the identification of optimal case detection platforms, evaluation of integrated care, understanding the impacts of integration on community members and community health staff and development of point-of-care diagnostics. Conclusions The operational research priorities are intended to support the scale-up of integrated skin-NTDs programmes.

Use of Spatial Epidemiology in Neglected Tropical Diseases Control, Elimination and Eradication

“…The drugs are administered to the populations at risk and regular interval for a specified period time. It is highly recommended that MDAs are conducted in an integrated manner to maximize on the cost of conducting the programs and also increase the impact of the drugs used and improve health outcomes since NTD epidemiology in most settings shows an overlap and because some drugs used in MDAs on a particular NTD may also be effective against other NTDs [40][41][42]. The NTDs targeted under this strategy include lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis [36].…”