Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
Announcements Community Interaction
Other Resources
Periodical Publications
Technical Documents
Announcements
Human Rights and Neglected Diseases
Neglected diseases impose a huge burden on developing countries, constituting a serious obstacle for socioeconomic development and quality of life. But the fact that they were bequeathed to our Region by the transatlantic slave trade makes their burden all the more galling: individuals, families and communities in our hemisphere are still suffering illness which originated in that abhorrent exploitation, more than 200 years after the outlawing of the British slave trade. Thus, taking decisive action to eliminate them as a public health problem in the Region, which is an achievable dream.(4/Aug/2008)
In English Article
An Achievable Dream: Eliminating Some Diseases from the Americas
In this speech, PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses outlines a set of communicable diseases--vector-borne, zoonotic, viral, bacterial and parasitic--that can be eliminated or significantly reduced by 2015 at the regional, subregional, or national level.
(20/Feb/2008)
In English PAHO Director
en espaņol Directora de la OPS
An ACHIEVABLE DREAM: Eliminating some Diseases from the Region
"When envisioning the future of public health in the Americas, we can and should dare to dream of victories that greatly benefit all citizens and have a real impact on the human development levels of our peoples.
Eliminating certain illnesses or diseases that still afflict our peoples even though we possess the knowledge and tools with which to make them virtually disappear is one of those achievable dreams."(20/Feb/2008)
In English 
(5.93k)
en espaņol (6.14k)
TropIKA.net: Tropical Disease Research to foster Innovation and Knowledge Application
The UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and the PAHO's Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME) are jointly developing an interactive portal in the area of infectious diseases that disproportionably affect poor and marginalized populations. The initiative is called TropIKA.net--Tropical Disease Research to foster Innovation and Knowledge Application. The rationale is to address a basic imbalance where priority research needs are unequally covered by the global research agenda and several high-impact research areas are still neglected.(10/Jul/2007)
In English TropIKA.net
Other Resources
Clinton Global Initiative Video on Neglected Tropical Diseases
This hour-long talk show with former US president Jimmy Carter, Professor of Microbiology and Tropical Diseases Peter Hotez, and Uganda Director of Health Services, Ministry of Health Sam Zaramba discusses cost-effective measures for eliminating neglected diseases, the threat they pose and the impact they have for developing nations, and viable treatment and control measures.(9/Dec/2008)
In English Kaiser Network
Integrated Vector Management (IVM)
Vector control is well suited for integrated approaches because some vectors are responsible for multiple diseases, and some interventions are effective against several vectors. The concept of IVM was developed as a result of lessons learned from integrated pest management, which is used in the agricultural sector; IVM aims to optimize and rationalize the use of resources and tools for vector control. This resource page links to WHO materials on IVM and to PAHO materials on vector-borne diseases (VBDs).(4/Sep/2008)
In English (7.74k)
en espaņol (8.29k)
PAHO Communicable Disease Research Program (CDR)
This page offers the user basic information and a variety of resources in the area of research in infectious diseases: mandates, program description, PAHO guides for researchers submitting proposals and reports, links to its WHO counterpart and to the PAHO Research Grants Program as well as to donor institutions and related sites, international awards, announcements of conferences and publications, upcoming events, etc.(27/Aug/2008)
In English (8.87k)
en espaņol (9.76k)
Periodical Publications
Action Against Worms
This link goes to the homepage of the WHO newsletter, Action Against Worms, which deals with intestinal parasites. Parasitic infections are considered neglected diseases that mainly affect the poor, and most especially children. Each issue of the newsletter focuses on a specific topic. From May 2008 onwards, PAHO will be translating this newsletter into Spanish, and there are also several issues available in French, all accessible via this English-language homepage.(27/May/2008)
In English Action against Worms
en espaņol Action against Worms
en Franįais Action against Worms
Tackling Neglected Diseases in Latin America
This page links to two Biomedical Center (BMC) Public Health articles, one a commentary on improving the health of neglected populations in Latin America and the other, an article on prevention, control, and elimination of neglected diseases in the Americas.(23/Aug/2007)
In English WHO
en espaņol (3.96k)
Prevention, control, and elimination of neglected diseases in the Americas: Pathways to integrated, inter-programmatic, inter-sectoral action for health and development
Over 210 million people in the Americas live below the poverty line. These impoverished and marginalized populations are heavily burdened with neglected communicable diseases. These diseases continue to enact a toll, not only on families and communities, but on the economically constrained countries themselves. The purpose of this paper is three fold. First, it focuses on a need for integrated "pro-poor" approaches and policies different from traditional approaches. Second, it outlines the need for a specific strategy for addressing these diseases and offers several entry points in the context of broad public health measures involving multiple sectors. Finally, the paper presents several initiatives from PAHO and other institutions that document the importance of integrated, inter-programmatic, and inter-sectoral approaches. Authors include PAHO experts from different areas and the PAHO Director. (BMC Public Health 2007, 7:6, doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-6)
(17/Jan/2007)
In English BMC Public Health
Technical Documents
CD48/10: Towards the Elimination of Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) in the Region of the Americas
This report from the 48th session of the PAHO Directing Council reports on the current situation and progress made towards achieving the PAHO mandate of eliminating onchocercaisis (river blindness) from the Region of the Americas.(14/Aug/2008)
In English 
(157.94k)
en espaņol (157.56k)
en Franįais (151.09k)
em Portuguęs (161.38k)
Preventive Chemotherapy in Human Helminthiasis--Controlled Use of Antihelminthic Drugs: A Manual for Health Professionals and Programme Managers
This manual is intended to guide the coordinated implementation of regular,
systematic, large-scale interventions that provide anthelminthic drug treatment as a core component of the joint and synergic control of helminthic diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. The manual is accompanied by the dose-poles (in poster format, to display proper dosage by height).(23/Jun/2008)
In English WHO
10 Facts about Neglected Tropical Diseases
These ten facts provide a basic overview on what constitutes neglected tropical diseases and what is being done to combat them.(23/Jun/2008)
In English WHO
