Neglected infectious diseases in the Americas: current situation and perspectives for the control and elimination by 2030

Neglected infectious diseases (NID) are a diverse group of conditions including more than 20 parasitic, bacterial, and fungal diseases, and envenoming by poisonous animals. Their risk factors include poverty, income inequality, lack of access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation, and barriers to education and health services, among other social determinants of health. They impose a large burden on marginalized populations globally and in the region of the Americas, including women and ethnic minorities. The region of the Americas has a track record of elimination of communicable diseases and countries have made significant progress in the elimination of NID in recent years. Between 2011 and 2020, one country eliminated trachoma, four eliminated onchocerciasis, one eliminated human rabies transmitted by dogs, and three were declared free of lymphatic filariasis. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the continuity of actions to eliminate NID and there are challenges in controlling and eliminating NID, particularly in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations with issues in accessing health services. There are still difficulties in the coordination between health and other sectors to work together on the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of NID. Forwarding the elimination of NID in the Americas involves continuous advocacy and resource mobilization at various levels (international, regional, national, and subnational), ensuring sufficient allocation of human and financial resources, access to essential health supplies, and implementing people-centered services. It also entails engaging and empowering civil society, communities, local governments, and public-private partnerships, while collaborating with stakeholders and donors for effective action

Convergence : mensuel de la solidarité / Secours populaire français ; dir. publ. Julien Lauprêtre ; réd. Antonio Garcia, Valmont Ponceau

avril 20052005/04 (N247)-2005/04.Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : UnivJeun

Rabies laboratory capacities.

<p>Percent of countries that replied positively to the use of various laboratory techniques for rabies diagnosis. Seventeen of 19 countries responded; the two non-responders included one low income and one upper middle income country.</p

Number of countries that completed the REDIPRA questionnaires by main group of indicators by year.

<p>No PEP application data was collected for 2007. No data was collected for 2010–2011.</p

Animal exposures and post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP).

<p>(A) Number of animal exposures and number of human rabies vaccines applied by year, period 1998–2014; (B) Ratio PEP doses to number of exposures; (C) Incidence of exposures per 100,000 population.</p

Indicators of national program capability in 2013–2014.

<p>Percentage of country respondents (n = 19) in 2013–2014 with national rabies control programs and basic indicators for control programs.</p