Context
The Carter Center, a leader in the global elimination and eradication of diseases, recently reported that guinea worm disease was close to eradication
Lessons from Guinea Worm Disease: Regional Focus in Disease Elimination
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Decline in Cases of Guinea Worm Disease:
- From 3.5 million cases in 21 countries in 1986, to 13 cases in five countries in 2023, marking a 99.99% reduction.
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- Second disease after smallpox Present Status and the first one with no known medicines or vaccines.
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Accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goal:
Focus Disease Elimination
- Disease Elimination Vs Eradication: Disease elimination acts as a precursor to eradication. Disease elimination aims to achieve zero transmission within a defined region.
- Eradication is the permanent cessation of infection globally.
- Rigorous Certification Requirements: International agencies set stringent criteria for disease elimination certification. This improves primary health care, diagnostics and surveillance.
- It will lead to increased involvement of field staff and community health workers, enthused by the clearly defined goal, and attract international support
Challenges involved in the Elimination of Disease
- Disease Elimination is Resource Intensive: Disease elimination should be undertaken cautiously, with thorough cost-benefit analysis and informed political backing, to achieve optimal outcomes with minimal adverse effects.
- Lead to Neglect of other Health Functions: It imposes an onerous load on the system and could lead to the neglect of other important health functions, especially for weak health systems.
Course of Action for Elimination
- Focus on diseases with high impact and low prevalence.
- When High Prevalence of Disease in Population: The aim should be to reduce their numbers to the level where elimination is practical, through disease control.
Need for Surveillance Systems
- Investment in Surveillance Systems: Government must invest in robust surveillance, strengthen labs, ensure medicine availability, and train workforce for disease elimination.
- Continued Surveillance Post-Elimination: To detect any reintroduction of the pathogen, as eradication is not guaranteed.
Issues to be addressed
- Challenges in Achieving Nationwide Elimination: Achieving nationwide elimination of all targeted diseases within the set timeframe may be difficult due to resource constraints and logistical challenges.
- Focus on Elimination Region Wise for certain diseases: Example:
- Kala Azar: Is now limited to five States in India, primarily prevalent in a few blocks in two States.
- Lymphatic Filariasis: India holds 40% of global lymphatic filariasis cases, targeted for elimination since 1997. Focused efforts in specific states can achieve elimination through surveillance, vector control, drug administration, and morbidity management.
- Diseases with Long Incubation Periods and Drug Resistance: It require a reworked, localised, and phased elimination strategy.
- Targeting diseases prevalent in specific geographical regions like states, districts, or blocks allows for more feasible elimination efforts.
Way Forward
- Multi Sectoral Collaboration: Encouraging innovation and adopting locally effective solutions for disease elimination is more effective at the regional level.
- Resource Management: Smaller units can reallocate resources more efficiently to manage the additional workload without affecting essential tasks.
- Ownership by Governments: While elimination can proceed regionally, national and state governments should take ownership of the process.
- Phased Approach: Regional elimination efforts should culminate at the national level, with a carefully planned phasing from a country-wide perspective.
Also Read: India’s First Indigenously Developed Hepatitis A Vaccine
Prelims PYQ (2023):
Wolbachia method’ is sometimes talked about with reference to which one of the following?
(a) Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
(b) Converting crop residues into packing material
(c) Producing biodegradable plastics
(d) Producing biochar from thermochemical conversion of biomass
Ans: (a) |
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