More than 1 billion people are infected mainly by the poor. What is "NTD" caused by parasites / bacteria?

Although it is not big news like Ebola or malaria, diseases caused by parasites, bacteria, etc. "NTD"Has infected more than 1 billion people, it is said that patients and surrounding communities are forced to live a poor life. What is NTD that Bill Gates is working on to eradicate it? On the thing that is easy to understand, a movie released on YouTube.

The Most Gruesome Parasites - NTDs Explained - YouTube


In 1014, the Byzantine Emperor Basileios II captured 15,000 soldiers in Bulgaria.


Basileius II was able to kill the captives, but he did not dare to make that choice. Because it came up not from generosity but "idea to weaken hostile countries over the next several decades".


Vasily II killed 99 eyes out of 100 prisoners of war and made it blind.


Only one eye is crushed for the remaining one out of 100 people ......


I returned the other 99 people to Bulgaria.


By doing this, many soldiers will spend the rest of their lives as blind people, and surrounding humans and communities will do their care for decades.


As of 2016, the same thing as Vasiley II does is "NTD"is.


One out of seven people on the planet is suffering from NTD.


This is more than the population of Europe as a whole.


Not only does NTD physically suffer individuals, they deprive people of more than $ 1 billion each year, weaken the community and slow down the development of society.


What exactly is "NTD" like a monster that destroys the city in the movies in a messy way?


The answer is "Neglected Tropical Diseases"


NTD is caused by bacteria, amoeba, parasitism, viruses, etc., and its symptoms are varied.


For example,HookwormWill intercept the nutrition that should be sent to the brain and body of the child if it is originally hindered, and hinders the growth of the child.


Also, there are NTDs that blind people ......


Some people make people bedridden, damage internal organs, and dramatically shorten the life span.


In addition, NTD may be deformed, in which case some people may suffer spiritual damage or get a job because of their appearance.


So how do you get infected with NTD? By saying that,Guinea pinch diseaseLet's look at the case.


Guinea insects infect humans by drinking water containing Ken Daphnia infected by larvae of Guinea insects, but they do not notice the fact that the infected person has been infected for about a year.


However, one year after infection, an infected person realizes that blisters are formed in his lower leg.


The grown Guinea worm breaks through the blister and comes out of the host body.


Guinea worms have grown to about 1 meter in length at this point, and only a few centimeters a time to slowly release Guinea worms to discharge them out of the body.


In order to eradicate such NTD by 2020, WHO is doing various efforts.


Thanks to that effort, Guinea insecta which had been reported in 3.5 million worldwide in 1985 ... ...


In 2015, we only had 22 reports a year.


99.999% Guinea worm disease could be destroyed.


It can be said that the day of completely eradicating one parasite is near.


Since NTD has not attracted much attention like infectious diseases such as Ebola, malaria, tuberculosis, it did not become a news headline, but this is a very big event.


There are various types of NTD, but there is only one thing in common.


That means that it is easy to aim for people who can not protect themselves, such as isolated communities like "It is 500 kilometers away from the nearest medical facility and there is no way to go to the facility."


In this case, even if there is a therapeutic agent, it is difficult for a person actually suffering from infection to obtain a medicine.


As a matter of fact, all existing NTDs can be prevented / treated, but in order to treat, it is necessary to medicate to each infected person in a dangerous place.


To solve the problem, 13 pharmaceutical companies, USA, UK, UAE, Bill & Melinda · Gates Foundation, etc., etc. are not able to deliver drugs to areas where infrastructure is not prepared just by government or health agencies alone Organizations in various fields to unite NTD eradicationTo tackle. A pharmaceutical company has also appeared that continues to distribute therapeutic drugs free of charge until NTW is eradicated.


"The London Declaration on NTD" promised that by 2020 $ 18 billion of medicine will be distributed free of charge. This amount is the largest donation amount of medicines ever.


Moreover, it is not forgotten to confirm not only that medicine is donated but also that medicine has been properly delivered to the place where it is needed.


With a massive effort, more than 850 million people were treated for by 2015 alone. It is said that it is equal to the number of the population of EU and the United States.


This kind of "good story" is not a headline for the newspaper, but if there is bad news, good news that humanitarian and mercy generates will always be born.