The far-reaching impact of eliminating parasitic worms

Admin l Wednesday, June 23, 2021

 

LAGOS, Nigeria – Join the END Fund for a deep dive into groundbreaking research from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), highlighting the macro-economic impact of ending sickness from parasitic worms in four sub-Saharan countries.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infections such bilharzia, soil-transmitted helminths, river blindness, and others that affect more than 1.7 billion people in the world. Africa carries 40% of the global disease burden, causing a loss of healthy significant life years annually.

“Unacceptable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions not only fan the flames of COVID-19, but also contribute to many less infamous but pervasive diseases that cause long-term effects on health, like NTDs. The pandemic has caused policymakers, global health advocates and donors to step away from a culture that previously undermined the relationship between WASH and disease prevalence,” said  H.E. Toyin Ojora-Saraki, Founder-President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA).

As the report highlights, preventing sickness from just two NTDs, bilharzia (also known as schistosomiasis) and soil-transmitted helminths, allows children to be more energized, attend and focus in school, and lead healthier and productive lives as adults. This in turn boosts adult productivity resulting in significant economic gains.

The conversation will convene experts like H.E. Toyin Ojora-Saraki, Founder-President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) and Alicia White, Health Research Analyst Manager, The Economist Intelligence Unit, to dissect the findings of the report and discuss how countries can act on it.

This event will be held on June 23, 2021 at 03:45 PM (GMT).