How USAID is leading the charge against elephantiasis, scabies, intestinal worms, and yaws in the Pacific Islands
Did you know that 1 billion people worldwide are affected by neglected tropical diseases? Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are parasitic and bacterial conditions predominantly found in tropical regions of the world that plague many low-income and marginalized populations.
In the Pacific Islands, USAID works with national and local governments, development partners, and communities to build awareness, conduct screenings, and deliver medicine to help combat the following four most prevalent neglected tropical diseases affecting the region.
Lymphatic Filariasis
This neglected tropical disease is transmitted through infected mosquitos. When a person is bitten, the disease commonly inflicts damage to the kidneys, immune system, and lymphatic system. Painful swelling, body deformities, and severe disability are also possible — leading to the nickname “elephantiasis”.
In Papua New Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified lymphatic filariasis as a frequent and widespread problem, present in 14 of the nation’s 22 provinces. A variety of treatment methods, including antiparasitic drugs and chemotherapy, are critical to stopping the spread of the disease and reducing the number of people at risk of developing this condition. In the country’s East New Britain Province, USAID supported a lymphatic filariasis drug treatment campaign. As of May of last year, the campaign had treated nearly 83% of the provincial population.
Scabies
Designated as a neglected tropical disease by WHO in 2017, scabies is an infection caused by mites that burrow beneath the skin. It causes severe irritation to the skin and itching. At its worst, scabies causes skin sores or crusted, scaly skin; heart disease; kidney disease; and even death. Scabies is spread through direct skin contact.
Due to the tropical climate and inaccessibility of treatment, communities in the Pacific Islands are more susceptible to scabies infestations. Using antiparasitic drugs provided by USAID and WHO, Vanuatu has become a model for successful scabies eradication in the region. The country has been able to complete the first phase of its scabies treatment plan across one third of its provinces — successfully treating over 8% of the nation’s population.
Since late 2022, USAID has aided other Pacific Island nations in combating scabies using similar methods to those in Vanuatu. In October, USAID and the World Scabies Program supported Fiji in launching its drug treatment campaign against the disease.
Soil-Transmitted Helminths
Soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms) are worms that live in a person’s intestines and are spread through contact with contaminated feces in soil. Eating fruits and vegetables that were improperly washed or cooked and contaminated with soil-transmitted helminths may lead to diarrhea, stomach pain, and physical or cognitive disabilities.
The Pacific Islands are especially at risk of soil-transmitted helminths due to the tropical climate. In Vanuatu, USAID partners with WHO and the government to screen for the disease and deliver antiparasitic drugs to communities most in need. Since 2021, USAID has treated over 23,000 individuals for intestinal worms.
Yaws
A bacterial infection primarily affecting children, yaws is spread through contact with small, open wounds. The results of a yaws infection can be disfiguring and impairing. The disease causes painful wart-like bumps, ulcers, lesions, and swelling of the bones and fingers.
In 2020, WHO labeled yaws as endemic to the Pacific Islands. The region’s humid climate coupled with inaccessible health services makes yaws more prevalent in communities in the region. Through skin screenings, USAID has helped Vanuatu identify cases of active yaws, protecting nearly 5,000 people against the disease.
Neglected tropical diseases are preventable in the Pacific Islands — and around the globe. Adequate community awareness and essential resources can make a world without these debilitating diseases possible. USAID will continue leading efforts to address neglected tropical diseases in the Pacific Islands in order to build a healthier, more resilient region.
About the Author
Kayla Sembly is a Virtual Student Federal Service intern who focuses on supporting USAID’s development outreach and communications in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, based stateside in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in health systems and policy.
