Eradication of yaws: historical efforts and achieving WHO's 2020 target

Yaws, one of the 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), is targeted for eradication by 2020 in resolution WHA66.12 of the World Health Assembly (2013) and the WHO roadmap on NTDs (2012). The disease frequently affects children who live in poor socioeconomic conditions. Between 1952 and 1964, WHO and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2014-09, Vol.8 (9), p.e3016-e3016
Main Authors: Asiedu, Kingsley, Fitzpatrick, Christopher, Jannin, Jean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage
Bacterial infections
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Eradication
Global Health
Health facilities
Health promotion
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infectious diseases
Medicine and Health Sciences
Methods
Neglected Diseases - drug therapy
Neglected Diseases - history
Neglected Diseases - prevention & control
Prevention
Review
Skin
Socioeconomic factors
Success
Tropical diseases
Yaws
Yaws - drug therapy
Yaws - epidemiology
Yaws - history
Yaws - prevention & control
Young Adult
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Summary:Yaws, one of the 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), is targeted for eradication by 2020 in resolution WHA66.12 of the World Health Assembly (2013) and the WHO roadmap on NTDs (2012). The disease frequently affects children who live in poor socioeconomic conditions. Between 1952 and 1964, WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) led a global eradication campaign using injectable benzathine penicillin. Recent developments using a single dose of oral azithromycin have renewed optimism that eradication can be achieved through a comprehensive large-scale treatment strategy. We review historical efforts to eradicate yaws and argue that this goal is now technically feasible using new tools and with the favorable environment for control of NTDs. We also summarize the work of WHO's Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases in leading the renewed eradication initiative and call on the international community to support efforts to achieve the 2020 eradication goal. The critical factor remains access to azithromycin. Excluding medicines, the financial cost of yaws eradication could be as little as US$ 100 million. The development of new tools has renewed interest in eradication of yaws; with modest support, the WHO eradication target of 2020 can be achieved.
ISSN:1935-2735
1935-2727
1935-2735
DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003016