Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng announced Tuesday that by the year 2021, Uganda will be free from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
NRDs are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries.
Six most common NTDs are; guinea worm disease, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and trachoma. These affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year.
According Minister Aceng, her ministry has given special attention to NTDs and managed to bring the prevalence to dramatic lows.
Dr Aceng made the remarks during the opening of the 10th session of Uganda Onchocerciasis Elimination Expert’s Advisory Committee Meeting at Sheraton Hotel Kampala.
“Uganda is one of the member states that have endorsed a regional plan to eliminate NTDs,” she said.
“Our neighbors Sudan and Congo have also joined in the struggle, giving us a stronger bond to wipe them out completely.”
The meeting is an annual event convened in Kampala to review progress in the Onchocerciasis elimination activities in Uganda and to share or exchange medical researches about the diseases in subject.
Currently the Ministry has put up a treatment coverage of NTD reaching all endemic communities in 37 districts and they attained at least 80 percent coverage of the total population diseases.
At the beginning of the year Uganda was awarded by Carter Center for her contribution towards the reduction of NTD in the country.