WHA57.1 Surveillance and control of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer)

Overview

The Fifty-seventh World Health Assembly,

Having considered the report on surveillance and control of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer);

Deeply concerned about the spread of Buruli ulcer, especially among children, and its health and socioeconomic impact in poor rural communities;

Aware that early detection and treatment minimize the adverse consequences of the disease;

Noting with satisfaction the progress made by the Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative since its inception in 1998, in coordinating control and research activities among partners;

Concerned that several factors, including late detection of cases and lack of effective tools for diagnosis, treatment and prevention, impede further progress;

Mindful that achievement of two of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, namely, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and to achieve universal primary education, may be hampered by the negative impact of neglected diseases of the poor, including Buruli ulcer.