Background

We live in a world where the most neglected are often the most forgotten. Every year, millions of people around the world, suffer from a host of debilaitating diseases that threaten their well-being in a variety of ways. Prevalent in tropical areas, Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)—ranging from dengue and lymphatic filariasis to Chagas disease, trachoma, and schistosomiasis—affect impoverished communities and are injurious to their physical, economic, and social health.

Recent data obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) depicts how, as recently as 2022, approximately 1.62 billion people across the world required targeted interventions in the form of preventative or curative care to help them grapple with NTDs. Despite such staggering numbers, these tropical diseases are designated as “neglected” because of the lack of focus directed toward addressing them across global institutions, at least until the last decade. As such, NTDs perpetuate cycles of oppression in marginalized communities, specifically in terms of limiting access to people’s educational and professional opportunities, along with subjecting them to shame and stigma. While organizations like the WHO have begun undertaking strategic interventions to eradicate NTDs, there is still a long way to go, as recent figures demonstrate.

East Africa is an area endemic to NTDs, owing to several contributing factors including extreme weather conditions, the prevalence of vectors to transmit these diseases, poverty, and a lack of accessible healthcare, as well as a shortage of funds for disease management. Kenya, in particular, is endemic to 19 of the 20 NTDs recognized by the WHO, having only recently managed to eliminate guinea worm disease.

The Afya Zetu Initiative (Swahili for “Our Health”) was founded to address these very needs, and supplement the efforts of the Kenya National Master Plan for the elimination of NTDs. By acknowledging the importance of community engagement and targeted healthcare strategies, this initiative is dedicated to blending innovation with awareness and action to help fight NTDs in Kenya and foster long-lasting health equity among the people.