Rapid-impact interventions: how a policy of integrated control for Africa's neglected tropical diseases could benefit the poor

This paper, published in PLoS Medicine, highlights recent achievements in controlling several tropical diseases, such as lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, guinea worm, leprosy, and trachoma, which have generally been neglected by policy makers and donors. Although these diseases affect at least as many poor people as the "big three" – AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria – they have received less attention and are not explicitly mentioned in the Millennium Development Goals. The paper explores ways to address these diseases, arguing that they can be cost effective and can contribute to poverty reduction. For instance, four drugs could be used for integrated control of seven of the major neglected tropical diseases, at a cost of around US$0.40 per person per year.

The paper argues that a number of issues need to be addressed before integrated control of the neglected diseases could be practiced on a large scale in Africa. An integrated package would need to include drug use monitoring and the development of new tools for disease control, to address concerns that diseases could become resistant to drug treatment. The paper concludes by advocating effective and cheap "rapid-impact interventions" to enable more equitable treatment of poor people, and reduce stigma, disability, morbidity and mortality. Although not "rapid" as such, the time scale for an impact is relatively quick compared with malaria, TB or HIV.