Togo/ Launch of the campaign against neglected tropical diseases

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Extract from the article: On Tuesday 6 August, the Ministry of Health launched the first phase of the annual mass treatment campaign against onchocerciasis, bilharzia and intestinal worms throughout Togo. This initiative, carried out in partnership with the World Health Organ

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On Tuesday 6 August, the Ministry of Health launched the first phase of the annual mass treatment campaign against onchocerciasis, bilharzia and intestinal worms throughout Togo. This initiative, carried out in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will run until 17 August. The operation aims to administer doses of Albendazole to children aged between 5 and 14 to combat intestinal worms. In addition, people aged 5 and over will receive praziquantel to treat bilharzia, a disease characterised by the presence of blood in the urine. Ivermectin will also be distributed to combat onchocerciasis.

In all, some 13,000 agents, most of them community health workers (CHWs), will be deployed in the field and will go door-to-door to reach the 3.8 million people targeted, including 2 million children.

"These drugs are free and safe. We are hoping for a massive take-up of this treatment, and we are asking the population to give a warm welcome to the community health workers", said Pr Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister for Health.

NTDs are infections that mainly affect the poorest populations living in remote rural areas, in shanty towns or in conflict zones. The causes are lack of clean water, poor housing conditions and lack of sanitation.Committed to the fight against neglected tropical diseases in recent years, Togo was recognised by the WHO in 2022 for having eradicated four of these diseases.

Jean ELI