Zambia: More than 13 million people in Zambia are at risk of being affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDS). The Ministry of Health made the announcement during the neurosolve project kick off meeting in Lusaka.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary George Sinyangwe attended the event on Monday, December 4, 2023. A consortium of researchers came together to find the right drugs to eliminate NTDs.
The neglected tropical diseases include issues such as epilepsy and convulsions among others. These diseases are mainly caused by pork tapeworm and may lead to lifelong consequences for the affected persons.
The Ministry estimates reveal that a large number of people in Zambia are currently at risk of being affected by the NTDs. Thus, it is important for the country to invest in research and find a drug that can assist in the treatments.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in charge of donor coordination, George Sinyangwe, said, “NTDs such as epilepsy among other debilitating diseases mainly affect populations living in poverty.”
Dr Sinyangwe said the NTDs also affect people without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious domestic animals.
He explained that the Ministry of Health has been leading the coordination and implementation of the NTDs interventions in Zambia. The efforts include mass drug administration to people suffering from these issues.
The Permanent Secretary said that the country has the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Zambia is among the first countries in Africa to pilot mass drug administration for tape worms.
Dr Sinyangwe said that Southern Province has high prevalence of tapeworms. He further informed that the Ministry has conducted five rounds of mass drug administration for elephantiasis in all the ten provinces.
He also commended the cooperating partners for their tremendous support in the elimination of trachoma and other NTDs in the country.
Meanwhile, the University of Zambia (UNZA) Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Boniface Namangala, said the world is faced with health challenges and that research is extremely important for tackling the problem.
Professor Namangala said UNZA is excited to undertake a four-year project in order to discover appropriate drugs to combat NTDs.