Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Burundi: Partnerships, Achievements, Challenges, and Lessons Learned after Four Years of Programme Implementation

摘要

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 17 conditions that together affect over 1,000,000,000 people in the developing world [1]. Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and public-private partnerships have joined efforts to place the NTDs in the spotlight, especially the seven that can be treated with an annual dose of safe and effective drugs: trachoma, three soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs, ascariasis, hookworm infections, and trichuriasis), lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, and schistosomiasis (SCH) [2]. On the wave of this new interest in NTDs, Burundi was selected in 2007 by the Legatum Foundation for financial support for a national NTD programme.