[india-drug] Press story: WHO damns India

["gopal dabade" <dabade_pal@yahoo.com>]

Dear All,

One wonders if these remarks are based on any studies
or just media gimmicks.

From,
Dr GOPAL DABADE
Cell (0)9448862270


http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov172005/state1716120051116.asp
 
Thursday, November 17, 2005
  
   Deccan Herald » State » Detailed Story  
 
WHO damns India for neglect of tropical diseases  
 
DH News service Bangalore 
 
With India still lagging behind in World Health
Organisation?s programmes for eradication of five
?neglected? tropical diseases, the WHO has called for
intensified efforts, stating that ?there is no need
for drug research, but for operational research?. 

The five diseases targeted by WHO are Leprosy,
Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis), Visceral
Lesihmaniasis (Kala Azar), Soil Transmitted Helminths
(STH) and Yaws. According to WHO reports, India
contributes the highest burden of leprosy and
elephantiasis, and accounts for large proportion of
Kala Azar and STH. It is also one of the three
countries in South-East Asian region reporting cases
of Yaws. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, before the
high-level meeting of WHO with policy makers and
donors in Bangalore on November 17 and 18, Dr Lorenzo
Savioli of Department of Control of Neglected Tropical
Diseases, WHO, called for ?community commitment? to
tackle the cases. ?The strategy and tools are all in
place, only intervention and proper networking is
required,? he said.  

?The existence of these diseases in these regions is
equivalent to a human right violation, because we are
knowingly depriving billions of people of cheap
medicines and a cure,? Dr Savioli added. 

Regret 

In a note of regret, David Molyneux, Professor of
Tropical Health Sciences at Liverpool School of
Tropical Medicine, pointed out that ?the tropical
diseases are the cheapest to be treated, as against
AIDS and tuberculosis. Giving statistics, Molyneux
said that while AIDS will cost $ 1,000, and TB $700,
the cost estimated for packaged intervention for
tropical diseases is less than $ 0.4. 

?These diseases are poverty-related and primarily
affect the poor and vulnerable groups like women,
children and the most marginalised of populations.
Though there are cost-effective interventions to
tackle these diseases, they have been neglected
because of insufficient resources, inadequate policy
support and ineffective implementation of programmes,?
explained Molyneux. 

Meanwhile, Dr Jai P Narain, Director of Department of
Communicable Diseases, WHO South East Asia, said the
main reason for failure of the eradication programmes
is inadequate coverage. 

?While some States are committed to the programmes,
others are not, and due to population migration, the
affected people spread it to other areas,? Dr Narain
said.