Kigali: Neglected Tropical Diseases threaten dwellers’ health amidst water shortage

By Elias Hakizimana.

There is fear of contaminating Neglected Tropical Diseases as some parts of Kigali city are facing water shortage.

Lack of sanitation, hygiene and clean water could increase Tropical Neglected Diseases (NTDs) according to experts.

The diseases are referred to as “neglected” because they have been largely wiped out in the more developed parts of the world but persist in the poorest, most marginalized or isolated communities of the world.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are critical in the prevention and management of all Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) scheduled for intensified control, elimination or eradication by 2030.

Sanitation plays a key role in preventing exposure to diseases such as soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, or trachoma, while safe water and hygienic conditions in health facilities and in homes are essential for the management and care of many NTDs.

Soil-transmitted helminthiases refer to the intestinal worms infecting humans that are transmitted through contaminated soil.

Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by parasitic flatworms.

Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is responsible for blindness or visual impairment. Blindness from trachoma is irreversible.

Key Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related behaviours that prevent these NTDs include using latrines and washing hands and faces with water and soap.

In different parts of the city of Kigali, there is a problem of access to clean water the situation that could spread such diseases.

Some of the affected residents told The Inspirer that it was not resolved several times, and consequently, the issue triggers serious diseases including taeniasis and other intestinal worms.

Access to clean water is the city of Kigali and government goal in general.

When the residents attended the last public meeting of the city of Kigali that brought together the local authorities up to the city level at the end of last month, there were representatives of the people in the Gasabo district who pointed out that some of these areas are threatened by clean water shortage.

The Inspirer visited the parts of the city and talked to those who are struggling to get water in the city of Kigali.

In Jali, it is difficult to go about 500 meters without seeing people carrying water tanks or others coming from fetching water as they walk long distance to reach the sources.

There are long queues of people in need of water where it is.

Possible serious issues citizens are facing according to a mini-survey conducted by The Inspirer include poor sanitation due to the use of contaminated water, and in turn, people suffer from diseases including taeniasis and intestinal worms.

Deogratias Kanyamibwa, 63, is a citizen from Jali sector, Nyarugenge district.

He said that he and his two grandchildren suffered from taeniasis because they never used clean water for a long time.

The family does not have a water tap with clean water closer their home.

“Children were the first victims, they used to cry at night suffering from stomachache, once at the health center after treatment, healthcare providers revealed they have suffered from taeniasis, a week I started also to also suffer the same illness,” Kanyamibwa said.

Cansilde Nyiraminani, 51, the mother of five from the same sector, Jali, reiterated the cause of intestinal worms among children and adults in their neighbourhood as the result of lacking access to clean water.

They hire someone and pay them to walk distance and fetch water for them.

“There is no water tap in this area, when we find someone to fetch water for us, we pay him Rwf100 per a jerrycan and we do not care from where the water comes from since we do not have another option to get clean water,” Nyiraminani said.

Samuel Nzamwita, the Executive secretary of Byimana village in Jali sector in Kigali city, said that clean water shortage is a big concern in Nyakabungo, Buhiza, and other areas.

However, Merard Mpabwanamaguru, the Vice mayor of Kigali city in charge of urbanization and infrastructure confirmed that compared to the past years, there has been noticeable changes in the water supply in Kigali city.

Currently there are people who can get water within a distance of 200 meters and in rural areas within a distance of 500 meters in the city of Kigali.

2030 target and ending Neglected Tropical Diseases

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to avail water and sanitation facilities to all by 2030.

These could help end Neglected Tropical diseases caused by lack of water and sanitation facilities.

The country is already facing cases of the diseases

Eight of the 20 diseases classified as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the World Health Organization (WHO) affect thousands of people in Rwanda every year.

The most common NTDs in Rwanda are: intestinal worms (affecting 41 per cent of Rwandans, with a prevalence of 48 per cent in adults), bilharzia/schistosomiasis (1,000 cases), podoconiosis (about 6,000 cases annually), scabies (100,000 cases), taeniasis (3,000 cases), cysticercosis, rabies from dog bites (1,000 cases) and snakebite envenomation (1,500 cases).

“Neglected diseases are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa. They are neglected because they do not receive the same attention as other diseases that affect the world,” said Dr Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, Division Manager of Malaria and NTDs Division at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).

The diseases affect 1.7 billion people worldwide

According to the Ministry of Health, “remarkable progress” has been made in fighting NTDs in Rwanda.” The World Health Organization has confirmed that sleeping sickness was eliminated from Rwanda in 2022; it was historically or potentially endemic but is no longer public health problem for the Rwandan population.

Since 2008, more than 65 million treatments for worm infections and schistosomiasis have been administered to children aged 1 to 15 years through biannual deworming for worm infections and annual treatment for schistosomiasis.

Deworming, combined with progress in water, sanitation, hygiene, awareness and intestinal worm prevalence, decreased from 66 percent in 2008 to less than 20 percent in 2020 among surveyed school-aged children.

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