End the Neglect: Neglected Tropical Diseases

Today we discussed Neglected Tropical Diseases.

1 billion people are affected by 1 or more NTD.

What does "neglected" mean?

• international level- NTDs do not travel easy, not an immediate threat to Western society; diagnostic tools remain underfunded (1% of the 1,393 new drugs 1975-1999 were for tropical diseases, .0001% of US $60-70 billion is spent on new drugs that target NTDs; tied to geographic and environmental conditions
• national level-hidden below the radar screens of health practitioners and politicians; marginalized populations have little political voice; prioritization of diseases is HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB (80% of funding of goes to these diseases, while >NTDs that actually have greater Daily Adjusted Life Years G-Finder Report Mary Moran)
• community level-NTDs cause fear and strong social stigma/prejudice (ie: leprosy, lymphatic filariasis); a misconception of these parasitic diseases

How can we address NTDs?

• Clean Water
• Adequete Sanitation
• Adequate Housing/Nutrition
• Vaccines
• Better Survelience of Diseases
• Integration: multisectorial approach (Agricultural, Education, Environment, and Health Sector communication)
• Innovation: more rapid diagnostic tools and better drugs targeting these diseases; better understanding of immunologic responses to NTDs and humans

What organization(s) can we trust that are fighting NTDs?

*TDR (A Special Programme for Neglected Tropical Diseases): http://apps.who.int/tdr/

------------Tropika.net (Pub-Med of Infectious Diseases): http://tropika.net/

*WHO Department of Control of NTD: http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/en/

*The Global Network for NTDs: http://globalnetwork.org/

*Sabin Vaccine Institute (have a great interactive mapping tool of NTDs): http://www.sabin.org/map/4

*USAID NTDs: http://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/

*PLOS Journal NTDs- great journal referene that is open access! http://www.plosntds.org/home.action

The First Global Report on Research for Infectious Diseases

(to be published Nov 2011):

• What is this? a research "think-tank" of 125 international experts to map R&D (research and development for infectious diseases) of infectious diseases
• 6 disease specific groups and 4 thematic groups were used to compile this report to bring a snap-shot of the world now
• http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/publications/tdrnews/issue-85/global-report
• Three Themes in the Final Report will focus on- Health Systems, Innovation and Technology, and Climate Change

Recently Published!!!! WHO report on NTDs, October 2010:

http://www.who.int/entity/neglected_diseases/2010report/NTD_2010report_web.pdf

Read about this important feat at:

http://endtheneglect.org/2010/10/a-little-less-neglected-a-reception-to-celebrate-the-newly-launched-who-report-on-neglected-tropical-diseases/

Text LIFE to 30644 to End Neglect and receive updates from the Global Network for NTDs!!!!

The First 3 Weeks Recap

Thank you everyone who has come out in the past few weeks to make our global health discussion group a success!

Below is a recap of previous weeks....


Week 3-Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of FORCE, FRAUD, or COERCION for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

This week the discussion raised awareness about the different forms of trafficking, laws in the US that protect victims of trafficking, and how human trafficking can be tackled today.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. Slavery still exists, it is just much more hidden in our society today. Types of human trafficking include; labor trafficking, domestic servitude, and sex slavery. Victims can be found in restaurants, hotels, health spas, massage parlors, cleaning/maintenance, agricultural employment, acupressure centers, brothels, escort services, strip clubs, nail salons, etc.

Human trafficking yields an estimated $34 billion dollars in profits each year. It ties with arms sales (after drug trafficking) as the most lucrative business for organized crime. Unlike drugs and arms, humans can be continually sold over and over again.

56% of victims are women and children
82% of international victims are used in forced labor
27 million persons worldwide are trafficked

For more information please see the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking's Website:
http://www.stophumantrafficking.org/


I worked with them for one year and worked with victims of all the forms of trafficking listed above. This work is very hard and rewarding at the same time. The US Laws protect victims of human trafficking. Unfortunately, most cases of human trafficking still do not get prosecuted as such. The US has long way to go in beginning to enforce more consistently the laws which are now in place to protect the victims.

Recommended Books I have read:

**The War on Human Trafficking; U.S. Policy Assessed by Anthony M. Destefano

**Not For Sale; The Return of the Global Slave Trade-and How We Can Fight It by David Batstone

**Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered; New Perspective on Migration, Sex Work, and Human Rights edited by Kamala Kempadoo with Jyoti Sanghera and Bandana Pattanaik

**Prostitution, Trafficking, and Traumatic Stress by Melissa Farley

**Pimpology; 48 Laws of the Game by Karen Hunter

Week 2- Inside Look at the Millennium Development Goals

This is an informational blog on the MDGs with all and any information you could want: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/millennium-development-goals

The Millennium Development Goals are an ambitious declaration of world leaders to fight poverty. Eight concrete goals, with measurable indicators are presented and can be found on the United Nation's MDG page. The recent summit in New York on the MDGs seemed to create more hype than success about how we are going to reach these goals by 2015? Is there enough political support and resources for the development these goals are trying to reach? How are the impacts made already and in the near future going to be sustained? Is it just an issue of aid?

To find out what the US is doing about the MDGs read this enlightening and strategic document:

www.usaid.gov/our_work/mdg/USMDGStrategy.pdf

The answers are spelled out for us, but will we (the world) collaborate enough and join together to make these goals a reality by 2015? Highly unlikely. However, it is better to have these goals and priorities as a bar/marker we can strive for than nothing at all. Bettering humanity is more complex than one may think and by starting to tackle these issues more concretely, we can learn from our mistakes and continue the journey. There is no easy answer or solution. How do you think we will make the MDGs successful? Are these goals worth having?

Week 1- What is Global Health?

Dean Pierre Buekens (of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine) led a discussion on how we define global health today, especially in academia. The tide is turning and schools of public health across the country are focusing on creating departments and certificate programs that teach students from a global health perspective. What does this mean exactly?

Global health is public health. When we talk about improving health locally or "at home" (in the US) or Africa, for instance, this actually strengthens health globally for everyone. Check out the following links for more about defining global health. Also, Dean Buekens published a response to the Lancet article below, that is pertinent for understanding how intertwined global health is with any and all health actions:

"Toward a Common Definition of Global Health"
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60332-9/fulltext)

"Global Health is Public Health"
(http://image.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60203-6/fulltext)