Rwanda: Rwanda Rolls Out Five-Year Strategy to Fight NCDs
[New Times] Rwanda is targeting the interruption of transmission of leprosy and onchocerciasis (river blindness) by 2030, under a new five-year plan to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Rwanda announces a five-year plan to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030. The strategy targets the interruption of leprosy and onchocerciasis transmission, with an estimated cost of Rwf13.79 billion. The plan aims to reduce diseases such as schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths to below one percent in selected areas, and gradually shift from mass drug administration to routine deworming.
Rwanda has already made progress, with intestinal worm prevalence falling from 45 percent in 2014 to below 20 percent. However, transmission of river blindness persists in Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts, and leprosy remains endemic in four districts. The government plans to achieve zero new locally acquired leprosy cases among children under five for five consecutive years by 2030.
Other neglected conditions will see case detection and clinical care integrated into routine systems and expanded reporting.
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