Americas

World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization

The 2019 WHO Weekly Epidemiological Report notes MDA was required in 30 IUs in Guyana and Haiti, with a total population of 6.5 million people. The proportion of IUs that reported effective MDA coverage in Haiti during 2018 increased from previous years. Confirmation mapping of endemic IUs in Guyana confirmed that MDA is required in 8 of the 10 regions. The Dominican Republic completed MDA and passed a TAS in the last remaining IUs, moving into the post-MDA surveillance phase. The country proposes to conduct confirmation mapping in all IUs considered at the start of the programme to be non-endemic and not requiring MDA. Brazil continued post-MDA surveillance, implementing TAS2 and TAS3 where warranted, in Recife, Olinda and Jaboatão. No infected children were identified during the surveys. The population requiring MDA in the Region has decreased by 11.6 million.

The treatment regime in all the Americas endemic countries is albendazole plus DEC (diethylcarbamazine).

The Americas Neglected, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases Unit is part of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis and is assigned, in PAHO, to the area of infecitous disease, surveillance, prevention and control.(link is external)

Further details of the Americas programme can be found here

The Americas Programme Review Group (RPRG), the body which reviews national programmes, applications for drug donations, provides techical guidance and identifies operational research issues is chaired by:

Santiago Nicholls
Neglected, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases Unit,
Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis,
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO),
525 Twenty-third Street, N.W.,
Washington
nicholls [at] paho [dot] org

See WHO Weekly Epidemiological Report for the full detailed report