01852nas a2200157   4500000000100000008004100001653003900042653001200081100001300093700001100106245006400117300000900181490000800190520148200198022001401680       2013                            d10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aNamibia1 aNoden BH1 aColf B00aNeglected tropical diseases of Namibia: unsolved mysteries.  a1-170 v1253 a<p>Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are diseases most commonly found in settings of poverty and are responsible for the morbidity and/or mortality of millions each year. As an upper-middle income country, Namibia is not normally considered to have many NTDs but published reports indicate the possible presence of over 30. Because much of the data is buried in historical studies published before Independence in 1990, there is a risk of losing valuable information on which to build current and future integrated public health strategies. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to bring together these significant fragments to identify existing knowledge gaps which need to be addressed to build effective control, prevention, and even elimination strategies. The review focuses on intestinal helminthes, schistosomes/snail 'vectors', viruses (Rift Valley Fever, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, rabies), protozoa (Leishmania, Toxoplasma, Amoeba, Giardia), bacteria (Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Leptospira, Coxiella, Brucella, and Borrelia), fungi (Pneumocystis) and myiasis. Each NTD speaks to the possible need for surveillance and the creation of integrated disease risk maps, linking prevalence of related NTDs with environmental and ecological factors to assist control and prevention efforts. The predominance of zoonotic disease suggests a need to integrate veterinary and public health components as the national public health surveillance system is established.</p>
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