Last September, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) gave new impetus to its initiative to eliminate more than 30 infectious diseases and related conditions in the Americas region.

Many are known enemies, such as tuberculosis, HIV and cervical cancer, but several are neglected diseases that affect vulnerable, marginalized or inaccessible communities. These diseases are mostly preventable, always curable, and yet they still plague millions of people.

Malaria, for example, is a disease that hides in the most inaccessible corners of America. It is a symbolic state among all those covered by the PAHO initiative: an expression of poverty and social inequality that disproportionately affects communities far from health services.

Although malaria is endemic in 84 countries worldwide, its transmission in our region is concentrated in remote areas of tropical forests, such as the Amazon basin, in hard-to-reach indigenous communities in Central America, and in poverty-stricken areas in the island of Hispaniola. Geographically speaking, these areas make up less than a third of the continent and still put 142 million people at risk.

Cut off from national health promotion networks and campaigns, and separated by physical or social barriers, these communities face many diseases and conditions that better-served populations rarely care about, such as Chagas disease, trachoma or lymphatic filariasis.

And the sicker they are, the poorer they are. They exhaust their daily existence by traveling long distances to health centers, lose productivity and end up trapped in a vicious cycle. Eliminating these scourges that affect their health would be a step towards greater prosperity for these communities.

On a macroeconomic level, they would also relieve already limited health budgets. The return for every dollar invested in TB diagnosis and treatment is estimated to be US$40, while the global socioeconomic benefit of eliminating neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease could reach US$16.6 billion by 2021. 2030.

The good news is that our history shows that eliminating disease is possible. The Americas were the first region to eradicate polio in 1994, and since then we have racked up several victories, including the elimination of measles, rubella and neonatal tetanus.

Progress in the fight against malaria is also encouraging. In the last five years alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Paraguay, Argentina, El Salvador and Belize as malaria-free countries, and we currently have eight countries on a solid path to elimination by 2030.

These successes make America a leading region in the global race against malaria and show us that we can do more. With the lessons of COVID-19 still fresh, there is no better time than now to fight to eliminate infectious diseases.

Innovation can support our momentum, building on what we have learned in recent years. Geospatial technology, for example, can help locate transmission hotspots to plan specific interventions. Telemedicine can bring care to places that face physical, social, or economic barriers. Improved rapid testing can facilitate screening and early detection, and now with affordable drugs – such as for hepatitis C – access to the drug can be expanded.

But in addition to tools, new strategies can also help: with one instead of two doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, we can expand coverage to effectively eliminate the risk of cervical cancer in girls in our region, and also vaccinate children who may contribute to transmission .

By proactively finding TB cases and expanding preventive treatment in high-risk populations, such as prisons, health systems can reduce TB incidence and mortality.

Countries in the region have already committed to the Elimination Initiative promoted by PAHO in 2019, but COVID-19 has delayed our determination. Now is the time to get back on track.

We have the resources, and our challenge today is to ensure that they are integrated into national health systems and reach the people who need them most. PAHO is ready to provide its support. Our regional funds can help ensure that vaccines, diagnostics, medicines and new technologies are available at affordable prices.

I am sure that our joint efforts will bear fruit. Eliminating diseases like malaria will save lives, avoid suffering and disability. It will also strengthen public health systems and help address deep-rooted socioeconomic inequities, ultimately benefiting all of America’s people. (OR)