A health worker in Niger at a disease-specific assessment tests for neglected tropical diseases. Credit: Yaobi Zhang, HKI
U.S. Congratulates Government of Niger for Commitment to End Neglected Diseases
The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), congratulates the Government of Niger for adopting a strategic, sustainable plan designed to aid the country in its fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Sustainable systems are critical to ensure that persons at-risk of or living with NTDs continue to receive health services and that progress controlling and eliminating NTDs is maintained long-term. Niger’s Ministry of Public Health led the development of the sustainability plan with support from other government sectors and relevant stakeholders. The newly adopted plan emphasizes the Government’s key priorities, strategies, and provides benchmarks to help measure progress.
NTDs are a group of parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases that disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations. The diseases are debilitating, stigmatizing, and can cause life-long disability. NTDs are also preventable and treatable with safe and effective interventions that can control and ultimately help eliminate the disease.
Niger has made significant progress against NTDs by implementing large-scale treatment programs, performing disease surveillance, and managing chronic morbidities. USAID has provided support in Niger to help drastically reduce the prevalence of five of the most common and burdensome NTDs since 2007. Since that time, Niger’s leadership and USAID’s support has enabled the delivery of more than 224 million treatments to fight NTDs.