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World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2022

“Achieving health equity to end the neglect of poverty-related diseases”

(28 January 2022)

 

Statement by  Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, 

Permanent Representative of India to the UN


 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

 

I am pleased to participate today in this important event to mark the commemoration of the first World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day. I also welcome you all in my capacity as a co-chair of the Group of Friends along with Indonesia, Brazil and Senegal and the WHO.

 

Today, Neglected Tropical Diseases (or NTDs), a diverse group of 20 conditions, affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. The reality is that the NTDs are diseases of poverty. These diseases have been overlooked because they mainly affect the poorest in the developing world, predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas.

 

NTDs impose a devastating human, social and economic burden particularly on the most impoverished and vulnerable populations. 

 

Friends, 

 

India is home to at least 11 of these major neglected tropical diseases. India has made significant progress towards NTDs elimination by reaching out to nearly 400 million for Mass Drug Administration, house-to-house active search for finding the NTD cases and treatment of cases with effective drugs. 

 

Let me take this opportunity to apprise you on our national efforts to tackle NTDs particularly Visceral Leishmaniasis also called as Kala-azar and Lymphatic Filariasis. 

 

Combatting Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) is a priority for our government. The National Health Policy has set a goal for elimination of Kala-azar by 2023, though the WHO NTD Roadmap goal is 2030. We are progressing effectively towards achieving this goal. India has successfully reduced Kala-azar and 99% of endemic blocks have achieved the target of elimination which is less than 1 case per 10,000 population. In 2021, a reduction of 33% in Kala-azar cases has been reported as compared to corresponding period of 2020. 

 

This has been possible by house-to-house active search for finding the Kala-azar cases followed by treatment with effective drugs. Measures are put in place for detecting and treating Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis.  

 

We have experienced that the introduction since 2015 of single-day-single-dose injection to Kala-azar patients has improved treatment compliance.

 

Ensuring a whole-of-society approach, incentives are being provided to Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), a community health worker, for diagnosis & ensuring complete treatment of Kala-azar. The Government of India is also providing wage loss compensation to Kala-azar patients and incentives for Post Kala-azar patients.

 

In order to create a healthy competition among the Kala-azar endemic regions, the Government of India has instituted sub-national level awards as well.

 

Friends, 

 

On our efforts to combat Lymphatic filariasis, India has adopted a twin-pillar strategy to combat it, that is, transmission control and morbidity management and disability prevention. We have actively interrupted the transmission through annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of single dose of anti-Filaria drug and focused on home-based management of the cases.

 

In 2018, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the Triple Drug Therapy (IDA) implementation programme in selected regions. Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis was also launched at the 10th Global Alliance for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis on 13 June 2018. The Government of India provides financial assistance to all the endemic States of India.

 

Public campaigns are undertaken to increase for community awareness on Mass Drug Administration including effective use of new media especially social media to expand the scope of these awareness campaigns.

 

 An event on ‘United to Eliminate Lymphatic National Symposium Filariasis’ was held on 30 October 2019 in New Delhi which brought together a variety of stakeholders including global and national public health experts, partners, donors, research organisations and pharmaceutical companies. 


Friends,

 

India is moving ahead in its fight against NTDs. We are thankful to the WHO for being an important partner in our efforts towards this end. The World NTD Day provides us with an opportunity to build coalitions among Member States, Civil Society Organizations, research institutions and academia, and other stakeholders to control, eliminate and eradicate NTDs.

 

Thank you.