The Hindu Business Line : WHO banks on pvt sector to wipe out 5 tropical diseases

The cost of permanently treating one person affected by these tropical diseases works out to barely 40 cents a year, compared to $7-10 per HIV- or malaria-infected person each year on a long term.

Bangalore , Nov. 16

THE World Health Organisation is banking on further commitments and donations from the private sector to fight and eradicate five neglected tropical diseases from South/South-East Asia.

The world body is holding its first two-day meeting here on November 17 and 18 on eradication in the next five to 10 years of diseases like leprosy, kala azar, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), soil transmitted helminthic infections and yaws.

Though these affect and disable nearly 11 million poor each year, WHO is concerned that they receive little attention for research or funding compared to more glamorous diseases such as HIV, TB and malaria. Pfizer, GSK, Novartis, Merck, Bayer, Sanofi Pastuer, Johnson & Johnson and MedPharma are among the few pharmaceutical companies who supply drugs worth a few million dollars free to victims of worms, sleeping sickness, river blindness and leprosy.

WHO is exploring further donations and trying to bring one single package for all diseases, said Prof David Molyneux of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK.

The cost of permanently treating one person affected by these tropical diseases works out to barely 40 cents a year, compared to $7-10 per HIV- or malaria-infected person each year on a long term. Yet, public makers are ignoring these diseases, he said.

WHO is now working through national governments on a partnership-based programme to annually deworm all school children, train village workers, provide bed nets and improve hygiene and awareness levels in the affected regions.

"We don't need lab-based research in these diseases, the tools are available. The big challenge is the delivery system for the drugs," Prof Molyneux said.

Dr Jai P. Narain, Director, Department of Communicable Diseases, WHO South-East Asia regional office in Delhi, said having eradicated guinea worm and small pox, the national health authorities have now targeted elimination of leprosy in five years, kala azar and yaws and filariasis by 2010.

The meeting will review current strategies and sensitise policy makers, donors, NGOs and the private sector on controlling these diseases.

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