Good news!
"The African Union and Uniting to Combat NTDs signed an agreement this week to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) across the AU Member States by 2030. ...
NTDs are a group of twenty diseases, including trachoma, intestinal worms, leprosy, and elephantiasis. These diseases are preventable and treatable, yet they still affect 1.7 billion people around the world, with the African continent accounting for about 40% of the total global burden. Despite the relatively low mortality resulting from NTDs (around 500,000 deaths globally per year), these diseases and conditions are associated with severe complications, including blindness, disfigurement, social stigmatisation, mental health problems, chronic pain, cognitive impairment, and another long term irreversible damage causing impediments to education, employment, economic growth, and overall development.
AU Member States have been making tremendous progress in the fight against these diseases, showing that NTD goals are achievable. Several member states have achieved ambitious elimination targets, including Ghana, Morocco and The Gambia eliminating blinding trachoma; Egypt, Togo and Malawi eliminating lymphatic filariasis; and Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Uganda eliminating Guinea worm disease. ..."
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