Training health professionals to ensure the fight against neglected tropical diseases
06 June 2011 | Geneva
Visiting students of the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (GIID) learnt that WHO's approach to public health is built on the tradition of inquiry, encompassing disease control, capacity building, research and education.
During a meeting with WHO's Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases about 25 students learnt more about the 17 most common neglected tropical diseases that blight the lives of a billion people worldwide.
Some of the medicines used today to treat neglected tropical diseases date back to the 1940s. A new coordinated approach to using these medicines shows their relevance and effectiveness. However, GIID students were concerned about the low level of research and medicines developed over the past decades.
Control and prevention of these diseases require a concerted public health response to ensure efficient, cost-effective interventions on a large scale. However, some neglected tropical diseases require innovative strategies and case to case management.
The GIID is an institution of research and higher education dedicated to the study of world affairs, international relations and development issues.
GIID students regularly visit WHO to learn about public health issues.