$1.3B Lost to Five Diseases Every Year
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Uganda will lose $1.3b in 14 years by 2030, which is about $92.8m (about 306b) annually, in treatment and loss of opportunity due to five preventable tropical diseases, new data at the World Economic Forum indicates.
The diseases that are silent, but highly debilitating are; the soil-transmitted intestinal worms, Bilharzia, elephantiasis, river blindness and trachoma.
The economic burden exerted by the five ailments classified as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) was contained in new data on sub-Saharan Africa released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Kigali, Rwanda recently.
The data says Uganda and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa could save $52b between 2011 and 2030 if they met the World Health Organisation targets for controlling or eliminating the five commonest NTDs.
Source: New Vision (link opens in a new window)
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