Kenya launches strategic plan to revitalize war against neglected diseases

The Kenyan ministry of health in conjunction with multilateral agencies and pharmaceutical industry on Wednesday launched a four-year strategic plan to rejuvenate the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Cleopa Mailu said the strategic plan covering 2016-2020 will provide strategic guidance on prevention and treatment of seventeen neglected tropical diseases that affects over 50 percent of Kenya's population.

"This strategic plan provides a roadmap towards attainment of our national goals for prevention, control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases by 2020 in line with international obligations," Mailu said in Nairobi.

The second Kenya National Strategic Plan for control of neglected tropical diseases seeks to revitalize existing interventions to eradicate them in the impoverished regions where they are pronounced.

Mailu noted that over 20 million Kenyans in the arid and semi arid regions are grappling with one form of neglected tropical disease thanks to poverty, ignorance and poor sanitation.

"We intend to build on earlier achievements in tackling neglected tropical diseases by scaling up health education, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene as well as commodities to the high burden regions," said Mailu.

The East Africa nation has adopted the UN World Health Organization (WHO) resolutions that commit endemic countries to scale up interventions against major NTDs.

Mailu said besides launching a strategic plan, the ministry of health has forged partnership with pharmaceutical industry and community based advocates to strengthen public awareness and treatment of neglected tropical diseases.

"The government and its partners will steer the country towards elimination of NTDs through mobilizing funds and strengthening advocacy at community level," Mailu said.

Statistics from WHO indicates that 1 billion people are affected by neglected tropical diseases in 49 high burden countries, majority of whom are in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The WHO Representative in Kenya, Nathan Bakyaita regretted that NTDs have not only strained health care systems across Africa but have also undermined economic growth and social transformation.

"Neglected tropical diseases permanently curtail human potential. They impair childhood growth and educational outcomes hence the need to act on them with collective resolve," Bakyaita said.

He added that global attention to NTDs has increased as evidenced by resolutions endorsed by governments, donors and private sector to hasten their elimination by the 2020 deadline. Endit