Ashok Moloo
Information Officer, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases
Dr Raman Velayudhan
Head, Veterinary Public Health, Vector Control and Environment, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases
The world needs to work better and collaborate with sectors beyond health to implement the Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030 (GVCR).
The silent spread of vectors over the years means more countries are now exposed to arboviral diseases, with human activities facilitating their survival and propagation.
“It is time that vector control programmes work jointly with city planners, environmentalists, engineers and sectors that manage water and sanitation,” says a leading expert during a WHO-hosted webinar on ‘Reducing the burden and threat of vector-borne diseases to achieve the NTD road map targets.’ “We face the prospect of seven out of 10 people living in cities and urban areas globally by 2050.”
Focussing on prevention
“One of the things which is critical as we build out future cities … we really need to do better in the area of prevention … reducing the habitats of all mosquito species,” says Steve Lindsay, panellist and former Professor at Durham University, United Kingdom.
This implies reducing the breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes that transmit vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika. This can be done by enhancing access to piped water, constructing houses with built-in screens to block mosquito entry, clearing waste, improving drainage and keeping the environment clean.
Challenges to meet targets
While the GVCR is on track for some activities, amounting to an almost 10% reduction in global mortality over the past five years, for many other activities targets have not been reached.
A progress report outlining achievements and challenges will be submitted to the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022.
During the past two decades, many vector-borne diseases have emerged or re-emerged, spreading to new parts of the world.
Assessing global risk
More than half the world’s population is at risk of infection from vector-borne diseases, especially dengue, leishmaniasis and malaria.
Vectors are responsible for transmitting many neglected tropical diseases, mostly among the poorest populations where there is a lack of access to adequate housing, safe drinking-water and sanitation.
During the past two decades, many vector-borne diseases have emerged or re-emerged, spreading to new parts of the world. Dengue alone has increased six-fold since 2000 and it affects over 130 countries and still there are no effective drugs, vaccines and sustainable vector control tools, making it more neglected.
Other factors, such as environmental changes, increased international travel and trade, changes in agricultural practices and rapid, unplanned urbanisation have facilitated the spread of many vectors worldwide.
Current efforts to address the needs for better diagnostics, ADD Vaccines, sustainable innovative vector control interventions such as the use of Wolbachia, spatial repellents etc are encouraging new hope in the horizon to address the void and meet the goals set in the NTD roadmap 2021-2030.
This article was originally published on the World Health Organization’s website.
The original article can be accessed here.
