9 million Kenyans affected by Bilharzia,17 million more at risk!

Various stakeholders and Non-Governmental Organizations have called on government and partners to make sustainable interventions supported by funding to control Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs).

According to Dr Vincent Okungu an official from the END (Ending Neglected Diseases) fund, an International NGO concerned with ending NTDs, investing sustainably in NTDs elimination will give the best returns because it is an investment in reducing poverty thus allowing people to live dignified and productive lives.

During a meeting with various stakeholders and County Governments facing NTDs in Western Kenya, Dr Okungu said NTDs have a huge burden to the communities it affects and are deforming, damaging the social status of communities and patients affected are stigmatized by the same communities.

He said that although NGOs have tried to help in fighting NTDs, Government as well as private entities should also up their game and join hands in giving the affected access to medicines, and diagnostics and being innovative in order to alleviate their pain.

“The resources that we have are not enough and we are calling upon the countries that we work in including Kenya to join hands with us and mobilize additional resources either from the government and even private sectors and invest in NTDs,” explained Dr Okungu.

He stated that all parties involved, County Governments, individual philanthropies and even companies around endemic areas such as Western Kenya should come together and brainstorm on the way forward in mitigating NTDs.

NTDs are widespread in the world’s poorest regions that experience low access to sanitation, clean water and limited access to affordable healthcare

They affect over one billion people globally and are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins.

In Kenya, at least 25 million people are suffering from one or two NTDs. According to WHO these diseases are “neglected” because they are almost absent from the global health agenda, receive little funding and are associated with stigma and social exclusion.

Dr Okungu said that there has been a positive response from the County Governments in terms of progressive allocation of budget funds to NTDs.

“As they put in more resources, we are also encouraged to look for more to help end the neglect,” he said.

He added that over 9 million people in the country are affected by Bilharzia and about 17 million more people are at risk of contracting the disease adding that that is a significant number on one NTD when we have about 20 types of NTDs, all being endemic.

He equated the burden of NTDs to be at the same level as HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis stating that they should not be neglected anymore.

Florence Wakesho, the focal person for Intestinal worms and bilharzia from the Ministry of Health Division of Vector borne and NTDs said that 18 of the NTDs including bilharzia, intestinal worms, jiggers and snake bites are prevalent in Western Kenya especially counties of Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga.

She said that the government has put in place measures to ensure that the diseases which mainly affect people from the low income areas.

“Working with the County governments we want to find solutions on how to end these diseases first by sensitizing the public on proper hygiene practices as one of the ways to end the endemic diseases. Our goal is to ensure that by 2030 according to the World Health Organization (WHO) goals, we will have ended these diseases that are affecting our communities,” said Wakesho.

Other NTDs include Buruli Ulcer, Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), Dengue fever, Leprosy (Hansen’s disease), Rabies, snakebite and River Blindness, Elephantiasis and Blinding Trachom