01973nas a2200349 4500000000100000008004100001653002200042653002100064653001200085653002300097653001100120653002200131653001800153653002500171653002500196653002800221653003000249653002600279653003300305100001500338700001400353700001200367700001400379700001300393700001500406700001200421245011400433300001000547490000800557520104400565022001401609 2010 d10aTropical Medicine10aTropical Climate10aPoverty10aMedication Systems10aHumans10aHealth Priorities10aGlobal health10aFinancing, Organized10aDeveloping countries10aDelivery of Health Care10aCommunity Health Services10aCommunicable Diseases10aCommunicable Disease Control1 aGyapong JO1 aGyapong M1 aYellu N1 aAnakwah K1 aAmofah G1 aBockarie M1 aAdjei S00aIntegration of control of neglected tropical diseases into health-care systems: challenges and opportunities. a160-50 v3753 a

Although progress has been made in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, current financial resources and global political commitments are insufficient to reach the World Health Assembly's ambitious goals. Increased efforts are needed to expand global coverage. These efforts will involve national and international harmonisation and coordination of the activities of partnerships devoted to control or elimination of these diseases. Rational planning and integration into regular health systems is essential to scale up these interventions to achieve complete eradication of these diseases. Programmes with similar delivery strategies and interventions-such as those for onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis-could be managed on the same platform and together. Furthermore, better-resourced programmes-such as those for malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis-could work closely with those for neglected tropical diseases to their mutual benefit and the benefit of the entire health system.

 a1474-547X