NAIROBI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health has launched a new "Master Plan" to guide the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that have taken a toll on the poor and marginalized communities, a senior official has said.
The Kenya National Master Plan for the elimination of NTDs in the 2023-2027 period is aimed at breaking the cycle of these debilitating ailments through community-based awareness, said Susan Nakhumicha, cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Health, during the launch of the plan in the coastal city of Mombasa Tuesday.
"The plan is a multi-sectoral collaborative effort to make Kenya a healthy and productive nation, free from the shackles of NTDs," Nakhumicha said.
She noted that besides worsening human suffering, NTDs have slowed down economic growth, undermining efforts to eradicate abject poverty in marginalized regions, adding that in the next five years, Kenya will transition from disease-specific interventions to an integrated approach, optimizing resources and minimizing duplication of effort in a bid to eliminate these vector-borne but forgotten ailments.
Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO country representative in Kenya, said that NTDs affect over 1 billion people globally but are widespread in the poorest regions, where water safety, sanitation, and access to health care are less than optimal. Diallo observed that NTDs are almost absent from the global health agenda, receive little funding, and are associated with stigma and social exclusion.
Kenya has successfully implemented two previous NTD Master Plans, leading to the elimination of Guinea worm disease and the interruption of transmission of onchocerciasis and human African trypanosomiasis. This plan is aligned with government policies and global roadmaps and emphasizes an integrated approach, community engagement, and coordination across sectors to break the NTD transmission chain.
Currently, 42 countries globally have eliminated at least one NTD by 2020, including Kenya, which achieved the certification of the elimination of Guinea worm disease by WHO in 2018. Kenya has also submitted a draft dossier for the certification of the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis to the WHO for certification.
