Curing Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) & Breaking the Poverty Cycle
More than Education
Education is key, but many of these improved behaviours can only be implemented in an enabling environment.
On a hill in Bench Maji stands an experimental and revolutionary latrine designed by NALA. The sloping floor makes use of the heavy rains to keep the inside clean, the innovative ventilation system controls odors, and a fly trap is used to reduce transmission of other diseases.
The aim of this latrine design, perfected through community consultations, is to be replicated by local community members using cheap and available materials, making the design simple to maintain.
Despite having a reputation as slow movers, snails can travel relatively large distances, thus making snail control a challenge, but also an important part of the solution. Therefore, NALA has begun working on snail mapping to determine contaminated river areas and provide innovative solutions for schistosomiasis avoidance.
It’s these programs that are fundamental to the eventual elimination of schistosomiasis, along with the 19 other NTDs targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization (WHO).