Double advantage.
to Treat roundworms that had infected the girl may leave her less vulnerable to other diseases.
Peter Hotez / George Washington University
STOCKHOLM - public health efforts in the developing world are missing out on a market, eg group of researchers and health policymakers. They argue that efforts ramp up against the Big Three - HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria - will give far greater dividends if they are coupled to an attack against the so-called neglected diseases like hookworm, schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis. These parasites make their victims more susceptible to the Big Three, the scientists say, adding that the fight against both categories requires a similar public health infrastructure.
diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis take their toll by stunted growth, anemia and blindness, contributing to widespread developmental delays and learning. These infections forgotten "is the leading global cause of growth deficits," but they would be relatively cheap to treat, says Peter Hotez, parasitology at George Washington University in Washington, DC In a paper published Jan. 30 in the Public Library of science Medicine Hotez and colleagues argue that the treatment of 500 million people with one or more of these neglected diseases would cost only 40 cents per person per year, against more than $ 20 per person per year for the fight against malaria. "It is the best buy in public health at the moment," says Alan Fenwick, schistosomiasis a researcher at Imperial College London and author on the paper.
At the same time, the authors these treatments may stimulate the struggle continues against the Big Three, they indicate a growing body of evidence that suggests that people infected with several parasites are more susceptible to other diseases -.. including major killers for example, Hotez underlines study in Senegal found that deworming medication reduced malaria cases by 0%. And the distribution systems for deworming medication can also distribute malaria nets, he said.
the team hopes to his ideas into practice soon at a meeting yesterday and today sponsored by the United Nations Millennium Project. - an advisory body that aims to reduce poverty, hunger and disease around the world - researchers, representatives of donor agencies, pharmaceutical companies and public health leaders from eight African countries met to develop a "quick impact initiative" that would create national programs of fight against malaria and neglected diseases together.
Getting medicines where they are most needed is the biggest challenge, said William Lin Johnson & Johnson. Lin is in charge of his company's effort to donate 50 million doses of mebendazole, used to treat hookworm and other helminths. "I asked them to increase production," he said. "I do not want to be left at the end of the year with stores in the warehouse -. And egg on my face "
Related Sites
- UN Millennium Project
- Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
- control Initiative against schistosomiasis
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