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54 THIRD WHO REPORT ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
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3.2.3 A positive outlook
Global coverage with preventive chemotherapy has expanded significantly over the past few
years and is expected to further scale up as result of: (i) the increasing quantities of medicines
made available by the pharmaceutical industry and other partners to countries; (ii) the
preparation of national action plans and other tools facilitating implementation and resulting
in increased coordination of activities at country level; and (iii) the commitments to strengthen
efforts to overcome NTDs made by national governments and supported by growing interest
from donor agencies.
In 2012, of the 122 countries requiring preventive chemotherapy, 75 reported treatment data
for at least one disease. That same year, 56 countries submitted requests for donated medicines.
One year later, there were 70 applicant countries. The trend is positive as it reflects a progressive
expansion of preventive chemotherapy interventions. Despite the progress made, efforts must
be further intensified to consolidate gains and enable countries to meet the targets set in the
Roadmap and by the World Health Assembly in its various resolutions (Annex 1a).
3.3 Vector ecology and management
WHO promotes integrated vector management (IVM) for the prevention and control of
vector-borne diseases and the judicious use of insecticides. 1 IVM, defined as a rational decisionmaking
process to optimize the use of resources for vector control, aims to reduce transmission
of vector-borne diseases in order to achieve the global targets, while promoting the application
of sound ecological principles, evidence-based interventions, and collaboration within and
outside the health sector. An increasing number of Member States are now implementing
vector control through the IVM approach.
3.3.1 VEM in action
Integrated vector management
In areas where multiple NTDs are endemic, IVM is deployed to control transmission
of the causative pathogens of lymphatic filariasis, dengue, loiasis and malaria, and to
eliminate lymphatic filariasis in areas where Loa loa is co-endemic. Because ivermectin or
diethylcarbamazine can cause serious adverse events in people infected with Loa loa (African eye
worm), an endemic disease in a large part of central Africa, and in order to meet the Roadmap’s
2020 target, an alternative strategy for interrupting transmission of lymphatic filariasis must
be implemented that could potentially include both medication and vector control. WHO
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1
http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/vector_ecology/information/en/