The next pandemic might come from NTDs

On January 30 every year, the world comes together to celebrate The World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day.

The purpose of this Day is to reflect on the suffering caused by NTDs; celebrate those who are engaged in tackling their burden and the accomplishments of the global NTD community; as well as gathering more support towards their control, elimination and eradication.

Even if these diseases are stigmatized, marginalized and neglected by the global public health system, the WHO anticipates that the next pandemic might come from this set of 21 diseases that disproportionately affect poor people, women and children.

As Smallpox claimed around 500 million lives and Covid-19 around 7 million, so do Scientists predict that the next pandemic might be coming from Neglected Tropical Diseases which are celebrated worldwide on January 30th every year.

This is a group of 21 fatal and debilitating diseases that affect poor and marginalized communities. They are but not limited to Soil-transmitted Helminthes, Bilharzia, Dengue, Snakebites, leprosy and Noma which has been recently added to the list.

Scientists are anticipating that the next pandemic might be coming from this bigger list of diseases and that will affect Some parts of Africa, Europe and South America among many other regions.

They exemplify Dengue as one of the disease that might take off and hit hard the region.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is mostly visible in Tropical and Sub-tropical areas. Someone is infected with Dengue from daytime mosquito bites and some of the fatal diseases’ symptoms include sudden high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, fatigue and others.

Plenty of Dengue cases go unrecorded since the disease can also be asymptomatic but annually, around 400 million Dengue infections are recorded worldwide according to Drugs for Neglected Tropical Diseases figures, and public health officials have warned that near-record levels of transmission are expected this year. Bangladesh is currently experiencing its worst-ever outbreak, with more than 1,000 deaths.

The illness has been affecting much of Asia and Latina America causing an estimated deaths of 20,000 people each year, according to several media reports. The significant hike in the trend of the disease has risen eight-fold globally since the year 2000 largely caused by Climate Change, increased movement of people and urbanization.

Previously, the WHO Chief Scientist, Dr. Jeremy Farrar who has been working on Neglected Tropical Diseases for 18 years in Vietnam said that Dengue Fever will become a major threat in parts of Africa, Southern Europe and Southern United States in this decade.

As global warming makes new areas hospitable to the mosquitoes that spread it, the infection is likely to take off and become endemic in parts of Africa, US and Europe as well.

This is expected to put acute pressure on health systems in many countries of course since it will require a high ratio of nurses to patients.

A lack of knowledge of those nurses and other healthcare workers on the symptoms of Dengue, as well as an absence of a standardised case definition for reporting dengue cases might undermine national health systems once the outbreak erupt.

Media reports indicate limited and Inadequate surveillance systems and resource constraints especially in Africa which heavily contributes to the true disease burden remaining unknown. To make matters even more difficult, many dengue cases can be asymptomatic, which further compounds control efforts.

There is no specific treatment to Dengue but its vaccine is available.

As we celebrate the World NTDs Day, it is essence to recognize that efforts to tackle NTDs are a global health success story, but the impact of Dengue and other pandemics will be a threatening hard-fought progress if no immediate actions are taken.

If the spread of dengue is to be halted, there needs to be a shift from ad hoc responses to isolated outbreaks towards long-term, integrated programming.

We can make history by ending Neglected Tropical Diseases because they are treated and preventable. We have the medecines, we have the power, we have the partnerships and we have the plan. We can make history and put an end to NTDs in our lifetime and lift over a billion people from misery to hope. Together, we can unite and act to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Bertrand Byishimo is a Global Health Corps Alumni and a Project Coordinator for Bilharzia Storytelling Lab Rwanda Chapter.