Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a devastating obstacle to human settlement and socioeconomic development of already impoverished communities. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that control of these diseases can contribute directly to achievement of several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Interventions against NTDs mostly in the form of mass distribution of medicines donated by pharmaceutical companies have already benefited millions of people, protecting them from physical pain, disability and poverty. Over the past decades, the World Health Organization (WHO), together with its partners, has formulated an innovative strategy to ensure cost-effective, ethical and sustainable control towards elimination or eradication of several NTDs.

• Sensitivity of current copromicroscopy methods is sufficient for informing early stages of control (mapping and monitoring impact of Mass Drug Administration – MDA), but is inadequate when infections are reduced to low levels by MDA to inform late stages of control (decision to reduce or stop MDA and post-elimination surveillance), underscoring the urgent need to develop more sensitive alternative diagnostic tools
• Need for effective alternative medicines and pesticides to mitigate against any potential resistance to monotherapies such as Praziquantel (PZQ) used against schistosomes.
• Provision of treatment and other interventions free of charge to communities in need
• A system for delivery of medicines to cover the entire at-risk population
• Lack of a suitable PZQ pediatric formulation
• Promotion of integrated vector management
• Advocating an intersectoral, interprogrammatic approach to control of NTDs
• Early protection of children
• Post-implementation surveillance and monitoring
• Need for capacity building for increasing pool of researchers in NTDs

Our research in western Kenya region has mainly focused on Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), addressing some of the pressing challenges outlined above.