Luanda - The minister of Health, Silvia Lutucuta, reiterated Monday in Luanda the continuous implementation of actions to fight leprosy and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as it is an investment in health equity for citizens.
Speaking at the celebration of the World Day of Neglected Tropical Diseases, at José Martí school in Maianga Urban District, the official stressed that the fight against these diseases is an opportunity to reduce the poverty cycle, create a healthier, more prosperous and resilient society for the future generations.
At the time, she underlined that annually, at a global level, between 400 to 500 thousand new cases of Leprosy are reported and Angola is in the phase of eliminating the disease, as a public health problem, with a detection rate of two cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and a prevalence of less than one case per 10,000 citizens.
“These diseases cause not only suffering and disability, but also have consequences on the social and economic health of individuals, families and communities”, she said.
Silvia Lutucuta added that the diseases prevent children from attending school and adults from working, as well as provoke in families and communities a vicious cycle of poverty and inequality.
The minister pointed out that, within the scope of public policies, the Ministry of Health has made a considerable effort in the strategic planning process, with a view to expanding innovative interventions for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of sick people.
According to Sílvia Lutuca, over the years, the Angolan Government and its partners have achieved relevant progress through the adoption of measures aimed at controlling and addressing one single health, focused on human beings, animals and the environment.
Taking into account that the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and Leprosy are public health problems, the minister stressed the need to do everything to make Angola free of disease, fighting neglect in order to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030.
She revealed that Angola had made progress in the fight against leprosy, admitting, however, that much still needed to be done, adding that the objective is to protect the gains of the elimination phase, achieve the goal of eradicating the disease, interrupt transmission, increase diagnostic capacity, treatment and control.
According to the minister, the increase of laboratory capacity to support clinical diagnosis, resistance monitoring, strengthening of the active search, carrying out post-exposure prophylaxis, increasing access to reconstructive surgery, as well as the provision of advisory services and mental health care, are part of the strategy.
“We are working on strengthening strategies to maintain the intervention capacity of public health teams, integrated clinical services, at all levels of the health system, including community surveillance system for the prevention of leprosy through screening, diagnosis, treatment, management of complications, self-care of people affected with leprosy and their families”, she stressed.
In this regard, Sílvia Lutucuta said that throughout 2023, the Ministry intends to expand data management, based on the digital health information system and on the georeferencing of people with leprosy, a strategic intervention that will contribute to monitoring progress towards “Zero Leprosy”.
On the other hand, she spoke about pragmatic, sound and evidence-based decision making.
Regarding NTDs, she stressed that progress had also been made, in accordance with the Strategic Plan 2020/2025, where the main integrated, innovative strategies for reducing the burden of the disease in the population, particularly in the most disadvantaged populations, are identified.
On her turn, the representative of the Mentor Initiative, Teresa Nóbrega, reiterated the support for 2023, in technical support to the national programme, to mass administration activities and availability of medicines for eight of the country´s 18 provinces.
She said that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, they also hope to support the treatment of more than six million people with neglected tropical diseases, especially children.
The WHO representative, Djamila Cabral, said that NTDs, which affect over a billion poor and miserable people worldwide are neglected because they are almost absent from the agendas of health organisations, get little funding and end up being associated with stigma, discrimination and social exclusion.
Due to such implications, she pointed out that for the commemorations of World NTD Day, her institution had chosen for 2023 the motto “Act now. Act together. Invest in neglected tropical diseases”, so that the commemoration is not only on the day, but in every moment, to fight the pathologies.
Leprosy is a long-term infection that primarily affects the skin, but it also can affect the eyes, the peripheral nervous system and possibly other organs.
Every two minutes it strikes one person in the world, unlike Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) which are a group of preventable diseases that can be treated and that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide.
Of the 20 NTDs, 12 are prevalent, highlighting schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis and human African trypanosomiasis.
The country has 111 health facilities providing health care for leprosy patients, which is considered an insignificant number.
The provinces with the most cases of leprosy are Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Bié, Malanje, Cuanza Sul, Cuando Cubango, Huíla, Lunda Sul and Moxico.
