The potential of positive deviance approach for the sustainable control of neglected tropical diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have gained much attention in recent years due to the support from various agencies. However, the main approach to combat NTDs has been to cure rather than to prevent. As many NTD infections are closely linked with human behaviors such as hygienic practices and tra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical medicine and health 2016-07, Vol.44 (1), p.20-20, Article 20
Main Authors: Ong, Ken Ing Cherng, Araki, Hitomi, Kano, Shigeyuki, Jimba, Masamine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Caregivers
Chagas disease
Chemotherapy
Disease control
Disease prevention
Households
Infections
Letter to the Editor
Malaria
Malnutrition
Sanitation
Sustainable development
Tropical diseases
Zoonoses
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have gained much attention in recent years due to the support from various agencies. However, the main approach to combat NTDs has been to cure rather than to prevent. As many NTD infections are closely linked with human behaviors such as hygienic practices and tradition, behavior change is also very crucial to prevent relapse or reinfection. Therefore, we would like to suggest a potential new approach-the positive deviance approach-to tackle NTDs by focusing on the preventive phase. What makes this approach unique is that the solution comes from the affected population themselves and not from the expert outsiders. Preventive chemotherapy that relies on outside aid has serious sustainability issues as reinfection is also high after the aid program has ended. Learning from the success story in Vietnam on preventing childhood malnutrition, the positive deviance approach could end the spread of NTDs once and for all by making full use of the available local solutions.
ISSN:1348-8945
1349-4147
1349-4147
DOI:10.1186/s41182-016-0023-8