Neglected zoonotic diseases (NZD)

Rationale

Neglected Zoonotic Diseases (NZDs) is a terminology that focuses on a new approach to dealing with endemic zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases (zoonoses) arise from infections transmitted from vertebrate animals to people. These animals may be domesticated (livestock or companion) or wild.

These diseases such as anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, cysticercosis, echinococcosis (hydatid disease) and rabies are called ”neglected” because they are not adequately addressed nationally and internationally. Successful prevention and control of NZDs rests on three key requirements:

• Assess the needs of communities and their livestock and pets affected by NZDs;
• Use integrated approaches to cure, prevent and control disease at the human-animal interface; and
• Use evidence-based advocacy to leverage resources and commitment for control from the national and international community.

• Figures on the impact of NZDs
• List of specific NZDs

Over the past few years, WHO organized three international conferences aimed at raising global awareness about neglected zoonotic diseases which mainly cause significant morbidity and mortality in the impoverished mostly rural livestock-dependent communities.

A conference on "Zoonoses control: a route to poverty alleviation" was held in Geneva in 2005 (More).
A second conference on "Integrated Control of NZDs in Africa" was organized in Nairobi in November 2007 (More);
A third international conference on “Community-based interventions for prevention and control of Neglected Zoonotic Diseases” was held in Geneva in November 2010 (More).

• increasing investments in prevention and control activities, capacity building and applied research from development aid/assistance programmes within developed countries and from other sources of health funding;
• scaling up implementation of control approaches using known strategies; testing the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of those strategies and in parallel prioritizing research for NZDs;
• strengthening or establishing Veterinary Public Health (VPH) units to bridge the gap between agriculture and health departments, and
• training practitioners in human health and veterinary services to serve the need of communities in addressing zoonotic diseases.

• Lead global and regional efforts to promote and coordinate the “one health” concept for control of NZDs and formulate a model for applying this integrated approach in the context of eco-systems that facilitate transmission of NZDs.
• Provide guidelines on establishing national VPH units, and clarify the role and structure of VPH units in the context of their contribution to health care, recognizing that their mandate extends beyond a given sector and beyond control of NZDs.
• Promote advocacy to emphasize the burden of NZDs on society and to create demand at all levels of society for control of NZDs.
• Develop or update guidelines for surveillance, prevention and control of specific NZDs and conduct, maintain and report inventories of activities and tools to control NZDs.