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Oyeyemi OT, Ogundahunsi O, Schunk M, Fatem RG, Shollenberger LM. Neglected tropical disease (NTD) diagnostics: current development and operations to advance control. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:1-24. [PMID: 37872790 PMCID: PMC10769148 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2023.2272095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have become important public health threats that require multi-faceted control interventions. As late treatment and management of NTDs contribute significantly to the associated burdens, early diagnosis becomes an important component for surveillance and planning effective interventions. This review identifies common NTDs and highlights the progress in the development of diagnostics for these NTDs. Leveraging existing technologies to improve NTD diagnosis and improving current operational approaches for deployment of developed diagnostics are crucial to achieving the 2030 NTD elimination target. Point-of-care NTD (POC-NTD) diagnostic tools are recommended preferred diagnostic options in resource-constrained areas for mapping risk zones and monitoring treatment efficacy. However, few are currently available commercially. Technical training of remote health care workers on the use of POC-NTD diagnostics, and training of health workers on the psychosocial consequences of these diagnostics are critical in harnessing POC-NTD diagnostic potential. While the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the possibility of achieving NTD elimination in 2030 due to the disruption of healthcare services and dwindling financial support for NTDs, the possible contribution of NTDs in exacerbating COVID-19 pandemic should motivate NTD health system strengthening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyetunde T. Oyeyemi
- Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA
| | - Olumide Ogundahunsi
- The Central Office for Research and Development (CORD), University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria
| | - Mirjam Schunk
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU) institution, Munich, Germany
| | - Ramzy G. Fatem
- Schistosome Biological Supply Center, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
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Ochola EA, Karanja DMS, Elliott SJ. The impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) on health and wellbeing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A case study of Kenya. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009131. [PMID: 33571200 PMCID: PMC7904142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) remain endemic to many regions of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) left behind by socioeconomic progress. As such, these diseases are markers of extreme poverty and inequity that are propagated by the political, economic, social, and cultural systems that affect health and wellbeing. As countries embrace and work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the needs of such vulnerable populations need to be addressed in local and global arenas. The research uses primary qualitative data collected from five NTD endemic counties of Kenya: interviews key informants (n = 21) involved in NTD implementation programs and focus groups (n = 5) of affected individuals. Informed by theories of political ecology of health, the research focuses on post-devolution Kenya and identifies the political, economic, social, and cultural factors that propagate NTDs and their effects on health and wellbeing. Our findings indicate that structural factors such as competing political interests, health worker strikes, inadequate budgetary allocations, economic opportunity, marginalization, illiteracy, entrenched cultural norms and practices, poor access to water, sanitation and housing, all serve to propagate NTD transmission and subsequently affect the health and wellbeing of populations. As such, we recommend that post-devolution Kenya ensures local political, economic and socio-cultural structures are equitable, sensitive and responsive to the needs of all people. We also propose poverty alleviation through capacity building and empowerment as a means of tackling NTDs for sustained economic opportunity and productivity at the local and national level. Wellbeing is currently seen as an avenue that shapes, happiness, productivity, environmental awareness, social inclusion, and justice; however, most countries presently adopting wellbeing measures are in the global north. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) significantly compromise populations’ health and well-being in the global south, causing undesirable effects on the personal, social, and economic capabilities of communities living in endemic regions. As countries work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is paramount that countries in the global south adopt wellbeing measures and, in doing so, capture the lived experiences of individuals experiencing inequities, particularly as these are shaped by NTDs. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), political and economic power manifests across different scales, determining human-environmental interaction, distribution of resources, and the transmission of infectious agents. This paper uses a political ecology of health approach to identify the political, economic, social and cultural factors that contribute to NTDs, which are among the world’s greatest global health problems. The vast majority of people bearing the burden of NTDs reside in low-income countries. Surprisingly, as the economies of the low-income countries improve to middle-income status, NTDs continue to thrive among sub-populations of low socioeconomic status because of the unequal distribution of economic gains. As a result, NTDs are found in environments characterized by poverty and income inequality, and other inequalities in access to health services, housing, safe water, and sanitation. This paper uses political ecology of health in the primarily biomedical field of NTDs to demonstrate that inequities are embedded within the broad political, socio-cultural, and economic systems that exacerbate NTD infection. The study recommends that NTD endemic countries in SSA formulate policies that enhance equity through capacity building and empowerment enhance population wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Ochola
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Diana M. S. Karanja
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Susan J. Elliott
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Geary DC. Evolutionary perspective on sex differences in the expression of neurological diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 176:33-53. [PMID: 29890214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific brain and cognitive deficits emerge with malnutrition, some infectious and neurodegenerative diseases, and often with prenatal or postnatal toxin exposure. These deficits are described in disparate literatures and are generally not linked to one another. Sexual selection may provide a unifying framework that integrates our understanding of these deficits and provides direction for future studies of sex-specific vulnerabilities. Sexually selected traits are those that have evolved to facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choices, and are often larger and more complex than other traits. Critically, malnutrition, disease, chronic social stress, and exposure to man-made toxins compromise the development and expression of sexually selected traits more strongly than that of other traits. The fundamental mechanism underlying vulnerability might be the efficiency of mitochondrial energy capture and control of oxidative stress that in turn links these traits to current advances in neuroenergetics, stress endocrinology, and toxicology. The key idea is that the elaboration of these cognitive abilities, with more underlying gray matter or more extensive inter-modular white matter connections, makes them particularly sensitive to disruptions in mitochondrial functioning and oxidative stress. A framework of human sexually selected cognitive abilities and underlying brain systems is proposed and used to organize what is currently known about sex-specific vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, MO, 65211-2500, Columbia, United States.
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Barros de Alencar MVO, de Castro E Sousa JM, Rolim HML, de Medeiros MDGF, Cerqueira GS, de Castro Almeida FR, Citó AMDGL, Ferreira PMP, Lopes JAD, de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante AA, Islam MT. Diterpenes as lead molecules against neglected tropical diseases. Phytother Res 2016; 31:175-201. [PMID: 27896890 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are reported to be present everywhere. Poor and developing areas in the world have received great attention to NTDs. Drug resistance, safety profile, and various challenges stimulate the search for alternative medications. Plant-based drugs are viewed with great interest, as they are believed to be devoid of side effects. Diterpenes, a family of essential oils, have showed attractive biological effects. A systematic review of the literature was carried out to summarize available evidences of diterpenes against NTDs. For this, databases were searched using specific search terms. Among the 2338 collected reports, a total of 181 articles were included in this review. Of them, 148 dealt with investigations using single organisms, and 33 used multiple organisms. No mechanisms of action were reported in the case of 164 reports. A total of 93.92% were related to nonclinical studies, and 4.42% and 1.66% dealt with preclinical and clinical studies, respectively. The review displays that many diterpenes are effective upon Chagas disease, chikungunya, echinococcosis, dengue, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, malaria, schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis. Indeed, diterpenes are amazing drug candidates against NTDs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - João Marcelo de Castro E Sousa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Picos, (Piauí), 64.607-670, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Hercília Maria Lins Rolim
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Maria das Graças Freire de Medeiros
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Santos Cerqueira
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology, Biotechnology and Biodiversity Center for Research (BIOTEC), Federal University of Piauí (LAFFEX), Parnaíba, Piauí, 64.218-470, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Regina de Castro Almeida
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (RENORBIO), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Antônia Maria das Graças Lopes Citó
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (RENORBIO), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Amélia de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (RENORBIO), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
| | - Md Torequl Islam
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (RENORBIO), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, 64.049-550, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacy, Southern University Bangladesh, Mehedibag, Chittagong, 4000, Bangladesh
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