Abstract:
Introduction: The majority of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have established primary skin manifestations or associated clinical feature.
Skin NTDs often result in physical impairment and disfigurement, which can lead to disability. Skin diseases have been proposed as an entry
point for integrated NTDs control. However, the magnitude and overlap of skin NTDs is poorly understood.
Methodology: An institution-based cross-sectional study was done using medical records of dermatology patients between July 2017 and June
2018 in a dermatology service in Northeast Ethiopia. A total of 661 patient records were selected using simple random sampling.
Results: A total of 656 complete records were included in analysis. Skin NTDs constituted 17.2% (n = 113) of the overall of skin diseases. Of
skin NTDS, cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 40; 35.4%), leprosy (n = 38; 33.6%), and scabies (n = 31; 27.4%) were the most common.
Additionally, there were four cases of mycetoma. Of the non NTDs, poverty-related infections such as superficial fungal (n = 118; 21.1%) and
bacterial (n = 33; 5.2%) infections were also frequent. Tinea capitis was the most common superficial fungal infections. Impetigo and cellulitis
were the predominant bacterial infections.
Conclusions: Skin NTDsand other poverty related skin infections were common at the dermatology service. Dermatological services could act
as a good entry point for integrated management of skin NTDs. Future studies should assess how different preventive strategies like contact
tracing, early diagnosis and mass drug administration can be integrated.
Description:
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of
diseases that are prevalent in many of developing
countries where poverty is rampant. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), more than a billion
people mostly in developing countries are infected with
one or more of the NTDs. Initially, the 2020 roadmap
of WHO focused on 20 NTDs until the WHO Technical
Advisory Group for NTDs added mycetoma, scabies
and snakebite to the NTDs list in 2017 [1].
However, one undervalued dimension of the NTD
grouping is that many of the diseases affect the skin,
either as the primary manifestation or as an associated
clinical feature [2]. Eighteen of the twenty NTDs have
established skin manifestations [3]. The Ethiopian
Ministry of Health has identified nine diseases as
