Senators have renewed efforts to ensure the country eliminates Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The Senate now wants the Health Committee to meet with the Health CS and officials from the Division of Vector-Borne and NTDs (DVBNTDs) to develop a plan to ensure that the country focuses on eliminating the diseases.
These are a diverse group of tropical infections which are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa and are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms.
They include sleeping sickness, rabies, trachoma, leprosy, dengue fever, elephantiasis and bilharzia among others.
In the plan, they want the ministry to put in place elaborate measures to promote continuous research on the diseases.
The plan will also ensure proper funding for the elimination of the diseases, their inclusion in the UHC agenda and increase in investments for water and sanitation in the endemic areas.
“There is evidence that control of these diseases can contribute directly to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in UHC,” nominated Senator Catherine Mumma said.
NTDs affect more than one billion people globally and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality.
They are endemic across Kenya but primarily affect the rural communities where there is low access to sanitation and clean water, and limited or no access to quality and affordable health services.
“I wish to request the Senate to note that the national and county governments need to invest in mapping some of the NTDs and provide resources for the prevention, management, control, and eradication of some of the NTDs based on the national and global targets,” she noted.
As much as they are neglected, they are a big health problem some of them killing or disabling people.
Data from the ministry shows that 50 per cent of the population is at risk of suffering NTDs; this represents 25 million people in Kenya.
“They need to ensure that they take the necessary measures to guarantee NTDs eradication and control, nationally.”
She further wants the government to take the necessary measures to implement the World Health Organisation roadmap for NTDs 2021-2030, which sets the global targets to which Kenya is a signatory.