What we do

Controlling and Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases

What we do

Controlling and Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases, some of which have been around since ancient times, affect more than a billion people around the world. Yet they have often been overshadowed by more deadly diseases and haven’t always been high on the health agendas, resulting in insufficient investments and funding. While there are many diseases considered neglected, Helen Keller focuses on five. These diseases — including trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, river blindness, and intestinal worms — are a group of mainly parasitic and bacterial diseases that can cause a host of disabling conditions, such as blindness, painful physical deformities, and worsened undernutrition. In addition to the physical impact of these diseases, the lost economic opportunities and social stigma can be equally devastating. Luckily, many of these diseases are entirely preventable or treatable.

Helen Keller has decades of experience combatting neglected tropical diseases, starting in the 1950s with trachoma. We work closely with governments and other partners to scale-up programs to control, and sometimes eliminate, these diseases.

Healthcare worker examines eyes of an elderly woman with an orange headscarf. — Since the 1950s, Helen Keller has supported the control and elimination of trachoma in Africa. To date we have helped conduct tens of thousands of sight-saving trachoma surgeries in vulnerable communities and continue working toward global trachoma elimination.

Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is caused by parasitic worms. Helen Keller provides drug treatment to tens of millions of children and adults across Africa each year.

Children are particularly vulnerable to infection from soil-transmitted helminth, a group of parasitic worms, which can cause both physical and nutritional impairments. Helen Keller helps countries effectively and efficiently provide deworming medication and health education.

Lymphatic filariasis, sometimes referred to as elephantiasis, can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability, and social stigma. We are helping communities not only eliminate this devastating disease but treat those suffering from the physical disabilities caused by the infection.

A healthcare worker measures a young schoolgirl against a wall as she holds medication. — Schistosomiasis, commonly known as snail fever, impacts nearly 261 million people worldwide, causing potential organ damage and poor health. We partner with countries to host large-scale treatment events to prevent and control this debilitating disease.

Since the 1950s, Helen Keller has supported the control and elimination of trachoma, the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. To date we have helped conduct tens of thousands of sight-saving surgeries in vulnerable communities and continue working toward global trachoma elimination.

Schistosomiasis, impacts more than 200 million people worldwide, causing potential organ damage and poor health. We partner with countries to host large scale community-based treatment events to prevent and control this debilitating disease.

Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is caused by parasitic worms. Helen Keller provides drug treatment to tens of millions of children across Africa each year to prevent and element river blindness.

Lymphatic filariasis, sometimes referred to as elephantiasis, can lead to the enlargement of parts of the body, causing pain, severe disability, and social stigma. By supporting community wide treatment, we are helping to treat those suffering from the physical disabilities caused by the infection.

Children are particularly vulnerable to infection from soil-transmitted helminths, a group of parasitic worms that can cause both physical and nutritional impairments. Helen Keller supports the treatment of school-aged children for parasitic worms through our work in Vitamin A supplementation.

The Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Helen Keller helps countries manage these diseases at multiple levels. Partnering with Ministries of Health, we help governments conduct mass drug administration campaigns that ensure children and family members receive essential medication to control and prevent the spread of neglected tropical diseases and stay healthy. For people already affected by these diseases, we help countries develop morbidity management and disability prevention strategies to ensure individuals receive the care they need to overcome the pain and debilitating effects of the diseases so they can reclaim their lives.

Helping countries build long-term sustainability

To ensure lasting impact, Helen Keller partners with governments to integrate disease treatment into existing national healthcare systems. This allows neglected tropical disease services to be incorporated into routine health services. By fostering community engagement and strengthening healthcare systems to prevent and treat disease, we are creating sustainable solutions that empower countries to manage the health of their populations for the long term.

Investing in eliminating neglected tropical diseases

Our work in disease control and elimination is supported by various organizations. Since 2018, Helen Keller has been the lead implementing partner of the USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (Act | West) program across six countries in West Africa: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone. We also partner with the Taskforce for Global Health in Cameroon, Mali and Niger; the END Fund in Mali, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria; and Sightsavers in Tanzania and Nigeria.

Science and evidence drive our work

We use evidence to influence what we do. Helen Keller prioritizes the dissemination of research and best practices related to the implementation of mass drug administration, disease-specific assessment surveys, and social science research. To learn more, visit our Resources page.

Our Impact

Success Stories

Despite challenges posed by political insecurity and difficult implementing environments, significant progress has been made towards the control and elimination of trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. This is exemplified by the recent successful elimination of trachoma in Mali, with further disease eliminations expected soon. Through close collaboration with Ministries of Health, we continue working toward the elimination of additional diseases. This progress is a testament to the collaborative efforts of Ministries of Health, partners and donors. Together, we’ve developed and implemented effective large-scale approaches to tackle these diseases, paving the way for these incredible successes.