Conference on Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Munich 2019

I have been attending the “Conference on Tropical Medicine and Global Health” here in Munich where I am was particular impressed by the policy talks in the plenary session.

17 Goals to Transform Our World

This includes the talk by Achim Hoerauf who talked about the UN declaration of sustainable goals but also the 5th progress report of the London Declaration about the neglected tropical diseases (that has not been signed by Germany for whatever reasons). The latter has some numbers to celebrate.

Human African trypanosomiasis
In 2016, only 2,184 cases of sleeping sickness were reported worldwide, down from 6,747 in 2011.
Trachoma
Five countries have been validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem: Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico (2017), Morocco (2016) and Oman (2012).
Lymphatic filariasis
In 2017, four countries – the Marshall Islands, Thailand, Togo and Tonga – eliminated LF as a public health problem, bringing the total to ten countries (with Cambodia, the Cook Islands, Maldives, Niue, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu).
Guinea worm disease
Guinea worm disease, which 30 years ago afflicted more than 3 million people in 20 countries, is on the brink of eradication, with just 26 cases in two countries.
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis has been eliminated in nearly all of the Americas. Colombia (2013), Ecuador (2014), Guatemala (2016) and Mexico (2015) have been validated as ‘onchocerciasis-free’.