Health damage caused by NTDs - Japan Alliance on Global Neglected Tropical Diseases

＜NTDs disease burden by region＞

The graph above shows the 2017 estimates of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost by NTDs.Regions classified by the World BankIt is a comparison for each. Here, we show data for only 16 NTDs for which DALYs are calculated. It can be seen that the disease burden of diseases (river blindness, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted parasites and trachoma) for which mass dosing programs are underway in Sub-Saharan Africa is large. On the other hand, it cannot be overlooked that scabies, dengue fever, and fluke infections occupy a large burden in the Asia-Pacific region.

Source：GBD Results tool: Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017) Results. Seattle, United States: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), 2018. Available from this permalink

＜How much negative impact does the world have?＞

According to the World Bank (2017), NTD had a total loss of 22 million Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2012, which is 1% of the global DALYs loss ^{* 1} . Only in low-income countries, the DALYs loss for NTD13 diseases is 1.32% of the total DALYs loss (calculated from GLOBAL HEALTH ESTIMATES 2016) ^{* 2} .
If the NTD measures in the London Declaration (2012) are successful, it is estimated that the loss of 591 million DALYs can be prevented between 2015 and 2030 ^{* 1} .
It is estimated that the end of NTD will prevent an individual's income loss of $ 622 billion between 2011 and 2030 ^{* 1} .

＊1：Holmes, King K.; Bertozzi, Stefano; Bloom, Barry R.; Jha, Prabhat. 2017. Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition: Volume 6. Major Infectious Diseases. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28659

＊2：WHO, Health statistics and information systems, Disease burden and mortality estimates
Disease burden and mortality estimates

＜NTD investment effect＞

Soil-transmitted parasites, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis, which are the most infected NTDs, cause developmental disorders and physical disabilities, leading to decreased labor productivity. In addition, when a child becomes ill, parents have to take time off from work to take care of them, and the expense of medical treatment also puts a strain on their household budget and accelerates the cycle of poverty. Investing in NTDs suppression programs will bring great benefits to society. The total cost of NTDs control (total treatment and prevention) is only 0.1% of total health care costs in endemic countries. Investing in NTDs countermeasures can be expected to have sufficient economic profitability and effectiveness for both the international community and governments of endemic countries.

The total cost of countermeasures for NTDs is estimated to be US $ 6.75 billion over the 15 years from 2015 to 2030 ^{* 1} .
It is estimated that the cumulative total of the benefits that individuals can obtain from treatment (the sum of the cost of treatment that they do not have to pay and the income from being able to work) over the same 15 years is US $ 342 billion ^{* 1} .
It is reported that from 1990 to 2030, if the international community invests NT $ 1 in NTD measures and the NTD threat is eliminated by NTD measures, those exposed to the NTD threat will be able to benefit from NT $ 25. ^{* 1} .

＜Reason for delay in efforts＞

Delays in surveillance and mapping maintenance
Lack of drugs
Problems with remote medical access
Delayed response due to stigma
Delay due to conflict
Problems with the movement of people from endemic areas to non-endemic areas
Lack of proper diagnostic tools
Program integration issues (integration with veterinary public health, integration of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) with WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH, safe water and sanitation, etc.))
Resistance issues in vector control
Impact of one NTD suppression program on other NTD diseases (eg, if suppression of lymphatic filariasis (LF) is achieved, albendazole is less free and soil-transmitted parasite (Soil) -transmitted helminthiases: STH) Affects Preventive Chemotherapy (PC, preventive chemotherapy) in the program, etc.)
Lack of funds
Program interruptions (for example, Treponema pallidum infections were nearly suppressed in the 1960s, but politics, donors, and communities were less motivated and returned to pre-MDA epidemics. )

＊Integrating neglected tropical diseases into global health and development: fourth WHO report on neglected tropical diseases. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.