Abstract
Approximately 440 million people globally are afflicted by hookworm disease, one of the 17 WHO-recognized neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The iron-deficiency anaemia attributed to this disease contributes to at least 3.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The current WHO-recommended control strategies rely primarily on mass drug administration or preventive chemotherapy. However, evidence is starting to accumulate confirming that preventive chemotherapy alone will not be sufficient to reduce the reinfection rates of hookworm, especially in areas of heavy transmission. The global health and research community is currently building a consensus stressing the need for the advancement of research and innovation to bridge the gaps and identify new public health interventions for diseases such as hookworm and other NTDs. This paper presents the strategies used by the Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership (Sabin PDP) in their ongoing endeavour for the development of a human hookworm vaccine. Recent updates and the current prospects for success of an effective human hookworm vaccine, as a new technology to be linked to or combined with drug interventions, are presented.
Highlights
440 million people globally are afflicted by hookworm disease, one of the 17 World Health Organization (WHO)-recognized neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)
The World Health Organization (WHO), through their Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, is a proponent for a roadmap that utilizes an integrated approach towards the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of 17 diseases that are the most prevalent diseases amongst populations living in poverty and are present in 149 endemic countries worldwide (Abroug et al, 2006; World Health Organization, 2015a)
Among the 17 WHO-recognized neglected tropical diseases, human hookworm disease, caused predominantly by infection with Necator americanus, has been shown to afflict approximately 440 million people globally (Hotez et al, 2014; Pullan et al, 2014), with the highest burdens found in Asia, followed by sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean
Summary
440 million people globally are afflicted by hookworm disease, one of the 17 WHO-recognized neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The current WHO-recommended control strategies (World Health Organization, 2015b) rely primarily on mass drug administration or preventive chemotherapy with a single annual tablet of either albendazole or mebendazole.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call