Director of Medical Services Dr Julius Kioko. [Photo|Business Daily]

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The Ministry of Health intends to eliminate trachoma and elephantiasis in two years.

Sultani Matendechero, head of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has said the two diseases are among 17 neglected tropical diseases in Kenya.

Elephantiasis causes swelling of legs, while Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection that causes blindness, currently affecting 64,000 Kenyans.

Elephantiasis is spread easily from one person to another by mosquitoes, just like malaria.

Elephantiasis is mostly found at the Coast where the ministry estimates about 80,000 men have been affected in the scrotum while about 55,000 people have swollen legs.

While scrotal swelling can be corrected via surgery, the morbid swelling of legs can only be managed by providing a minimum package of care. Kenya is among the last places where the disease thrives.

Trachoma is easily spread from one person to another and occurs where people live in crowded conditions with numerous flies and limited access to water and healthcare.

“We are on target to eliminate these two by 2020, while we expect Kenya to be certified Guinea Worm free by December 18 this year,” Matendechero is quoted by the Star as saying.

Elimination is usually achieved through mass administration of drugs to the affected population.

Matendechero said the government is carrying out a survey to establish if some of the 17 diseases are really present in Kenya.

“We are doing a survey next year, to confirm river blindness is not in Kenya anymore and then we can certify the country as free,” he added.

Matendechero spoke on Wednesday in Nairobi during the ongoing 11th NTDs Conference organised by the NTDs unit and the Kenya Medical Training Institute.

The Director of Medical Services Dr Jackson Kioko said the ministry will also increase financial support and stronger political will towards the control of NTDs.

“To this end, the ministry has trained and deployed staff, equipped regional labs and deliberately built capacity in the mapping of NTDs and monitoring of interventions,” he is quoted by the Star.

Dr Kioko noted many of the NTDS have been driven by poverty, lack of safe water, proper sanitation, hygiene education and housing.