TO Keep the world day of neglected diseases (NTDS), the experts of theIRCCS of Negrar They attract attention to the importance of spreading knowledge, surveillance and management. By 2050, according to the report of the World Economic Forum On the effects of climate change on human health, due to the increase in global temperatures they could be Over half a million more people exposed to diseases transmitted by insects Like Dengue, Malaria and Zika.
What are neglected tropical diseases
They are called neglected tropical diseases because, despite being responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and is estimated affect 1.6 billion peopleit is done little or nothing to contrast them in poor countries where between malnutrition and almost non -existent health care find fertile culture ground. A humanitarian question, but that also concerns global healthsince many of these diseases, such as the Dengue, are expanding their presence in the world, including Italy.
The point on neglected tropical diseases
Starting from these considerations that AIFA, the Italian drug agency And ISS, the Higher Institute of Healthhave decided to take stock of neglected tropical diseases close to the World Day of January 30th. It is 21 groups of diseases Extremely heterogeneous, widespread above all in the poorest tropical areas.
What are the causes?
To cause them are a variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminthsmushrooms and toxins. Diseases such as scabies, leprosy, leishmaniasis, echinococcosi caused by pathogens that infect the body or now known also in Italy Dengue e chikungunya. They spread more and more Also due to climate change, tourism and globalization. But also for hunger, deficiencies of medicines and hygienic/health conditions at least precarious.
Neglected tropical diseases at the center of attention on January 30th
United by being widespread in the poor and marginalized areas of the world, especially tropical and subtropical, with scarce resources, they are still too often forgotten by the political agenda, from scientific research and invisible to public opinion, despite significantly affecting global mortality e Food social stigma and poverty.
To take stock, the greatest experts from all over the world. As Denise Mupfasoni, of the WHO Department for the control of neglected diseases of Geneva, Maria Elena Bottazzi, professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Huston and nobeling for the Nobel Peace in 2022 and Adriano Casulli of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. They will meet in Verona on January 30 for a dedicated congress, organized by the IRCCS of Negrar, a center of excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of neglected tropical diseases that boasts decades of experience.
Is it possible to reduce and eliminate them?
“Despite the difficulties of funding, especially following the epidemic of Covid-19, which in many countries has caused the interruption of the control programs, international efforts have allowed us to eliminate some of these diseases and to reduce their prevalence»Underlines Federico Gobbi, director of the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria hospital in Negrar (Verona) and associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Brescia.
Neglected tropical diseases: the WHO road map
«At a global level, 1.76 billion people require health interventions for these diseases. To counteract and eliminate the NTDS, the World Health Organization has launched one Road Map for tropical diseases forgotten for the decade 2021-2030 In which the global objectives are defined to prevent, control and eradicate these pathologies “, declares Denise Mupfasoni of the WHO NTDS Department.
The results are comforting
«To date, after four years since the introduction of the plan, i results achieved are comfortingin fact, the elimination of at least one neglect tropical disease has been reached in 54 countries among the 100 expected by the Road Map and over 600 million people will no longer have a need for care, with significant savings in terms of economic and health resources »Adds Dora Buonfrate, director of the WHO collaborator center for Strongiloidosis and other neglected tropical diseases.
«With current efforts it was therefore possible to reduce the global number of people who need interventions against neglected tropical diseases 25% compared to fifteen years ago. However, we are still far from the optimal target set by the WHO road map, equal to 90% reduction – punctualizes Buonfrate. Achieving this is fundamental above all to decrease the impact of the disease in terms of years of life lost due to the pathology which, to date, has been possible to reduce only 11% against 75% hoped for from WHO ten years ago ” .
A collective effort
“There is therefore a lot of work to be done to decrease infections and the circulation of diseases and to reduce danger globally -continues Gobbi -. It is undeniable that in order to achieve what the WHO is set by the WHO, the world community must engage in a collective effort, aimed at developing diagnostic methodologies that can be used on the field in areas where the health system is almost non -existent and to discover drugs and vaccines. We must reason in terms of global health -he points out -.
Cure those who are furthest means prevent diseases of those next to usconsidering that we live in a world where the health of humans, animals and the environment are increasingly interconnected. It is therefore necessary to continue to monitor their trend up close, because climate changes, travel and migration bring the NTDS out of their traditional boundaries and therefore create potential transmission outbreaks in previously not affected areas. An example is the Dengue, which in recent years has caused epidemics, fortunately still limited, also in Italy, with records of cases in 2024 ».
In Italy Record Case Dengue in 2024
The Dengue is an infectious disease, not transmissible from man to man, but through the tiger mosquitowhich has been present in Italy since 1990. Asymptomatic in more than 50% of cases, can manifest itself with Symptoms similar to those of influence. High fever, headaches, pain behind the eyes and above all severe pains in the muscles, a characteristic for which the Dengue is known as “Spaccosso Fever”. In a minimum percentage can evolve into hemorrhagic feverwith blood loss from different organs, and can also have lethal outcomes. There is no specific drug therapy and the vaccine, introduced on the market in 2023is indicated only for travelers who often go to endemic areas or where there is an epidemic.
Last year’s outbreaks in Italy
Last summer he marked the record in our country of autochthonous transmission dense cases: 213 which are associated with the 474 import cases. The focus located in Fano, in the Marche region, with 133 infected people, all symptomatic and with identification of the Dengue virus was significant. Another outbreak, more small, 35 cases of the same virus, has also been identified in a municipality in the Emilia-Romagna region. In Lombardy 10 cases were confirmed, while in Abruzzo a outbreak was reported with 8 cases.
Neglected tropical diseases, short forecasts
“In Italy in the coming years we will most likely witness the increasingly important epidemics of Dengue thanks to the raising of the temperature that promotes the survival and proliferation of the mosquito vector of the disease -underlines the expert -. But we must prepare for native epidemics also of chikungunya and other neglected tropical diseases ».
According to the 2024 ratio of the World Economic Forum on the effects of climate change on human health, by 2050, due to the increase in global temperatures, more than half a million more million people exposed to diseases transmitted by insects will be. “We must be prepared for this eventuality intensifying research on these pathologistsEE by strengthening the system of surveillanceof which Veneto has been pioneer by instituting it since 2010. But also spreading awareness of the NTDS in the population, whose contribution is fundamental in limiting the spread of these pathologies “, says Gobbi.
What to do in case of symptoms
«In case of fever or other malaise upon return from a trip to tropical areas it is necessary contact the emergency room of a hospital as soon as possible with a department of infectious diseases. In addition, the appeal to the emergency room will allow the health workers, in the presence of a positive diagnosis of virus infection transmitted by the carrier mosquito, to immediately activate the local public hygiene authority and prevent an extensive epidemic from a limited episode from a limited episode “, concludes The expert.
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