Innovative and intensified disease management
The concept of innovative and intensified disease management was first devised almost two decades ago to tackle diseases that require individual-level care either because they are complex to manage or because effective diagnostic tools and medicines are unavailable.
This strategic intervention has two objectives:
- to increase access to current tools and
- to foster the development and introduction of innovative tools.
Access to available tools can be strengthened by increasing levels of awareness in at-risk populations; by conducting active searches to detect cases at an early stage of illness and prevent disabilities and death; by optimizing use of existing tools through capacity building, expansion of health facilities and resources, and decentralization of diagnostic, curative and disability management services; and by reinforcing their affordability and ready availability to those in need.
The development and introduction of new medicines and diagnostic tools can be facilitated by defining target product profiles for products that are suitable for use in resource-poor settings and field conditions; by fostering research and development by academia, research institutions and pharmaceutical companies; and by making newly-developed tools available to those in need through national programmes.
Wukro Clinic, Ethiopia
Currently available tools have shown the ability to substantially impact transmission, morbidity and death caused by NTDs. However, new tools that are better adapted to evolving and changing epidemiologies can also help to achieve and sustain the elimination targets.
Overall, the innovative and intensified disease management strategy relies on basic public health interventions such as detection, treatment and follow-up of cases, and on surveillance to monitor trends and direct action.
This strategic intervention was originally conceptualized by WHO to lead its efforts to lower the burden of mortality and morbidity of five diseases: Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, the leishmaniases (cutaneous and visceral) and yaws. Nevertheless, with progressive diversification of the means to tackle the burden of NTDs, the new NTD road map for 2021-2030 (“the road map”) recommends the inclusion of this strategic component among the public health guidance to tackle each NTD.
Resources
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