Burundi Makes Significant Progress Against NTDs

In this "End the Neglect" blog post, Alan Fenwick, director of the Schistosomaisis Control Initiative and professor of Tropical Parasitology at Imperial College in London, examines Burundi's progress in combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). He writes, "Over a period of four years, interventions to protect people against river blindness, and treatment for those infected with schistosomiasis and intestinal worms were delivered annually through schools and communities," and that, as a result of these efforts which delivered more than 31 million treatments to school children throughout the country, river blindness was eliminated; schistosomiasis prevalence was reduced from 12.7 percent to 1.7 percent; anemia prevalence fell from 25 percent to below 10 percent; and worm prevalence and intensities were significantly reduced (9/26).