NTDs Included in Congressional Malaria Caucus
The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria No More Applaud Expansion of the Congressional Malaria Caucus Mandate to Include Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
Inclusion Emphasizes Strong Linkages between Malaria and NTDs and Cost-Efficient Joint Control Programs
Washington DC, October 28, 2009-The Global Network and Malaria No More praise the Congressional Malaria Caucus and its Co-Chairs, Chairman Donald M. Payne and Representative John Boozman, for announcing today the expansion of the Caucus' mandate to include attention to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
The newly-expanded Congressional Malaria and NTDs Caucus held a briefing today during which panelists including Ambassador Mark Green-Managing Director, Malaria No More Policy Center, and Former Ambassador to Tanzania; Kari Stoever - Managing Director, Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases; Christopher King - Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University; and Ambassador Mark Dybul - Office of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Malaria and Former US Global AIDS Coordinator discussed the many linkages between malaria and NTDs and the cost-effectiveness of their joint control. Together, malaria and the seven most common NTDs cause nearly two million deaths each year and hundreds of millions more cases of suffering and chronic disease burden.
"On behalf of the NTD community, we thank Representatives Payne and Boozman and the members of the Congressional Malaria Caucus for their inclusion of NTDs. Their actions serve as a further catalyst to build upon ongoing efforts to control and eliminate these debilitating diseases in an integrated manner," said Kari Stoever. "We look forward to working with members of the Caucus to advance efforts to alleviate the burden of both NTDs and malaria with effective, low-cost interventions."
"Just as treatment efforts can work effectively together, so must our advocacy efforts" said Mark Green. "The future of fighting these diseases and saving lives around the world are interconnected and now our message to policymakers is united and we can put an end to deaths from malaria and drastically reduce the effects of NTDs."
While malaria is a well-known disease transmitted by a mosquito bite and killing close one million people a year, NTDs are a lesser known group of 13 parasitic and bacterial infections that affect over 1.4 billion people, most of whom live on less than $1.25 per day. NTDs blind, disable, disfigure, and stigmatize their victims and inhibit economic development. Both NTDs-particularly intestinal worm infections-and malaria commonly cause anemia, which afflicts more than half of all children and pregnant women and is a primary cause of death and disability in developing countries. Co-infection with malaria and NTDs, from which millions of the world's poorest suffer, exacerbates the effects of anemia, resulting in increased rates of maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
Research has shown that integrating efforts to control malaria and NTDs is an inexpensive and effective solution to reduce the incidence of deadly tropical anemia. A comprehensive three-year, multi-country study found that integrated interventions delivered through a community-based approach doubled the coverage rate for malaria treatment and bednet usage when combined with treatment for river blindness (onchoceriasis). For less than a 10% add-on cost, combining NTD treatment with current malaria control efforts significantly reduces anemia-caused morbidity and mortality.
About the Congressional Malaria and NTDs Caucus
Formed on April 24, 2008, and Co-Chaired by Reps. Donald M. Payne and John Boozman, the Congressional Malaria Caucus has served as a bipartisan platform to raise awareness of the United States' and the international community's fight against the malaria epidemic and now NTDs. It supports the distribution of vital malaria interventions including bed nets and effective medications, new research investments, and the funding of bi- and multi-lateral programs including the President's Malaria Initiative, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It also supports investment in control and elimination strategies of the seven most common NTDs and research and development to tackle the other non-tool-ready diseases. There are currently 60 members of the Caucus.
About the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases
The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases is an advocacy initiative dedicated to raising the awareness, political will, and funding necessary to control and eliminate the most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)--a group of disabling, disfiguring, and deadly diseases affecting more than 1.4 billion people worldwide living on less than $1.25 a day. For more information, visit www.globalnetwork.org.
About Sabin Vaccine Institute
Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing human suffering from infectious and neglected diseases. Through its efforts in vaccine research, development and advocacy, Sabin works to provide greater access to vaccines and essential medicines for millions stuck in pain, poverty and despair. Founded in 1993 in honor of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, discoverer of the oral polio vaccine, the Sabin Vaccine Institute works with prestigious institutions, scientists, medical professionals, and organizations to provide short and long-term solutions that result in healthier individuals, families and communities around the globe. For more information about Sabin's research and commitment, visit: www.sabin.org.
About Malaria No More and the Malaria Policy Center
Malaria No More's mission is simple: to end deaths due to malaria. Malaria No More works to raise the profile of the disease among the public, policymakers, and businesses, while engaging the private sector to provide life-saving bed nets and other critical interventions to families in Africa. The Malaria Policy Center, a project of Malaria No More, works to raise awareness and galvanize support to address the global fight against malaria. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Center works with the global health community to engage policy leaders in the United States and in the other donor nations to advance efforts to defeat malaria worldwide. For more information visit: http://www.malarianomore.org/.
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