Amref Sounds Alarm on Spread of 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases

Amref is raising concerns about a potential increase in the transmission of 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which could affect more than 25 million people in Kenya.

As stated by Amref, presently, 10 million people in Kenya are affected by at least one neglected tropical disease (NTD) and need treatment, particularly across 32 regions of the country.

Vincent Ouma, the NTDs program manager at Amref, states that out of the 21 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) recognized by the World Health Organization, 17 are widespread in Kenya. Some examples include intestinal worms, jiggers, schistosomiasis (bilharzia), which are particularly common within the nation.

He states that intestinal worms are the most common issue, primarily impacting children.

“The prevalence of these diseases varies by geographic location; however, regions such as the West and the Coast are considered endemic, making the likelihood of infection quite significant in those areas,” he stated.

During a workshop for county health officials from Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Vihiga, and Kakamega at Eldoret, he spoke about Amref’s support for programs aimed at combating certain Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in these regions.

Delegates from the WASH coalition are participating in the workshop.

As donor funding decreases, Amref asserts that it’s crucial for counties and other stakeholders to allocate additional resources to combat and potentially eradicate NTDs, which currently pose a significant risk to numerous lives in the nation.

“It’s feasible to eradicate the NTDs since numerous other African nations have accomplished this, and with the current efforts underway, it’s possible to achieve the same outcome in Kenya,” stated Ouma.

He stated that Kenya has set aside certain NTDs for elimination, such as elephantiasis and sleeping sickness, along with several others.

“Increased backing from counties along with coordinated initiatives makes it plausible that we could eliminate several of these issues by the year 2030,” stated Ouma.

He mentioned that Amref has been involved in large-scale drug distribution, providing treatments, and raising awareness about behavioral changes to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and they have pledged to keep up their efforts against these illnesses.

“We are now urging counties to concentrate and allocate greater resources towards Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) since these illnesses are unnecessarily impacting numerous Kenyan lives, despite being both preventable and curable through readily available medications and other eliminative measures,” stated Ouma.

At the gathering, county officials from health sectors and related departments mentioned they were focusing on boosting financial resources to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Caro Makali, who serves as the Bungoma Health executive, highlighted an encouraging shift in budget allocations toward NTDS. She mentioned that in 2021, the county earmarked KES 200,000 for these conditions; however, this amount has significantly risen to more than KES 10 million in the upcoming budget.

“The funds provided so far have been insufficient, yet we are adopting a multi-faceted strategy in our battle against this issue. Additionally, the central government has significantly contributed to the current initiatives,” stated Makali.

She mentioned that bilharzia and intestinal worms were the most prevalent issues in Bungoma. However, she highlighted that donors such as Amref played a crucial role in combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by supporting county-led initiatives.

Robert Wetoti, the county coordinator for NTDs in Bungoma, mentioned that they need approximately KES 30 million each year to combat NTDs in the area efficiently. This funding would cover treatments, buying medication such as dewormers for schistosomiasis, along with various initiatives like educating communities.

Norbert Musundi, who coordinates Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Trans Nzoia, stated that various NTDs, particularly jiggers, are widespread throughout the county, impacting every single one of the 35 wards.

He mentioned that the county needs KSh 25 million every year to combat NTDs, yet only KSh 12 million has been included in the revised budget. Additional funding is anticipated from international donors.