Work

Impact of the Neglected Tropical Diseases on Human Development in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Nations

Year: 2015

Type: editorial

Abstract: The employment of a new "worm index" of human development, together with additional published health information, confirms the important role neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) play in hindering the advancement of many of the world's Muslim-majority countries.The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, previously the Organisation of the Islamic Conference) is the major inter-governmental organization of 57 Muslim-majority countries, with a mission to promote human rights (especially those of children, women, and the elderly), education, trade, and good governance (Fig 1) [1].Under the OIC charter, the advancement of science and technology through cooperative research is also a key component [1,2].In 2009, one of us (PJH) reviewed the available data on the major NTDs and found that many of these diseases disproportionately affected OIC countries, particularly the poorest nations of the Sahel and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia [3].A previous survey of the 28 largest OIC nations-each with a population of at least 10 million people and comprising more than 90% of the populations of the OIC-found that they accounted for 35%-40% of the world's soil-transmitted helminth infections and 46% of cases of schistosomiasis, in addition to approximately 20% of the cases of trachoma and leprosy [3].Given the known impact of these NTDs on both public health and socioeconomic development, it was recommended that scaleup of mass treatment for these diseases should commence in the most affected OIC nations [3].However, we find that it has been difficult to make progress against poverty and NTDs in the OIC nations.Today, through support of the United States Agency of International Development's (USAID) NTD Program, national efforts to control or eliminate NTDs through mass treatments are underway in eight sub-Saharan African OIC countries, in addition to Bangladesh and Indonesia [4].Efforts are also underway through the NTD Programme of the United Kingdom Department for International Development (UK DFID) [5], while the END Fund, a private philanthropic initiative, supports programs in sub-Saharan African OIC countries, including Nigeria, Niger, and Mali, as well as Yemen, which also receives NTD program support from the World Bank [6].An updated review and "scorecard" confirm widespread poverty and disease remaining among the 30 most populated OIC countries-those with populations approaching 10 million people or more, and comprising more than 90% of the estimated 1.6 billion people living in these countries (Table 1) [7][8][9].At least 40% of the four largest Muslim-majority countries

Source: PLoS neglected tropical diseases

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003782

Authors: Peter J. Hotez, Jennifer R. Herricks

Institutions: Baylor University, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Sabin Vaccine Institute, Rice University

Language: English

Topic: Parasites and Host Interactions

Subfield: Parasitology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Partnerships for the goals

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,670