Pledge to eliminate 10 neglected tropical diseases by 2020

NEW DELHI: Neglected diseases like kalazar, filariasis, blinding trachoma, sleeping sickness and leprosy, which affect millions of Indians every year, have finally got the attention they deserve.
In what is by far the largest coordinated effort to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), 13 pharmaceutical companies along with the US, the UK and UAE governments, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank joined hands on Monday to eliminate or control 10 NTDs by 2020.
The group announced that they would sustain or expand existing drug-donation programmes to meet demand through 2020, share expertise and compounds to accelerate research and development of new drugs and provide more than $785 million to support research and development efforts and also strengthen drug-distribution and implementation programmes.
The Gates Foundation announced a five-year $363-million commitment to support NTD product and operational research. Companies have pledged to donate an average of 1.4 billion treatments each year.
Bill Gates said, "This innovative approach must serve as a model for solving other global development challenges and will help millions of people build self-sufficiency and overcome the need for aid."
Two neglected diseases — dengue and cysticercosis — cost India nearly $45 million every year. Globally, NTDs affect one in six persons, many of them among the world’s poorest. The programme aims to improve the lives of over 1.4 billion people worldwide and help them achieve self-sufficiency.
"These ancient diseases or NTDs are now being brought to their knees with stunning speed," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO. "With the boost to this momentum being made today, I am confident almost all of these diseases can be eliminated or controlled by the end of this decade."
New commitments from partners will close the funding gap to eradicate Guinea worm disease and expedite progress toward the 2020 goals of elimination for lymphatic filariasis, blinding trachoma, sleeping sickness and leprosy, and control of soil-transmitted helminthes, schistosomiasis, river blindness, Chagas disease and visceral leishmaniasis.
Speaking on behalf of the CEOs of the 13 pharmaceutical firms involved, Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, said, "Today, we pledge to work hand-in-hand to revolutionize the way we fight these diseases now and in the future."
According to WHO’s first-ever report on neglected diseases, these ailments kill an estimated 534,000 people each year. India has a huge disease burden of rabies, caused by dog bites. In India, 20,000 rabies deaths (that is about two deaths in 100,000 population) are estimated to occur annually. In Asia, 31,000 deaths are estimated to occur annually (1.2 deaths in 100,000 population).
WHO identified 17 NTDs in 149 countries, and found that more than one-third of the 2.7 billion people, living on less than $2 a day, were affected.
Sanofi will provide 120 million DEC tablets for the Global Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination programme. Bayer will double its existing donation of nifurtimox to treat Chagas disease. Eisai will extend its existing donation of 2.2 billion tablets of DEC for LF to 2020. GlaxoSmithKline will extend its existing donation of albendazole to treat soil-transmitted helminthes by providing 400 million tablets per year to 2020, Johnson & Johnson will extend its existing donation of mebendazole for soil-transmitted helminthes by providing 200 million tablets per year to 2020.
MSD will continue its unlimited donation of ivermectin to combat river blindness and lymphatic filariasis (where co-endemic with river blindness) as well as discuss the use of ivermectin to combat other diseases.
Merck KGaA will significantly increase its annual donation of praziquantel tablets from 25 million to 250 million tablets per year, extending the programme indefinitely. Novartis will extend its commitment to provide multi-drug therapy (rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone) to leprosy patients worldwide in a final push against the disease.
Pfizer will continue its donation of azithromycin for blinding trachoma until at least 2020, as well as donate the drug and placebo to a study on the reduction in mortality of children treated with azithromycin.
Sanofi will extend its existing donation of eflornithine, melarsoprol and pentamidine for sleeping sickness until 2020 as well as provide logistical support to ensure that the drugs continue to reach patients for free.