Even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently sounded alarm over the neglected tropical diseases in countries like India, many disease control programmes, subsumed under the National Rural Health Mission, could not achieve the targets set for the current Five Year Plan so far.

Official statistics suggest that some of them had made good progress while in many cases, the kala-azar mortality reduction by 100 per cent by 2010 and sustaining the elimination until 2012, the overall reduction was only 21.93 per cent during the first two years of the Eleventh Plan, said an evaluation by the Planning Commission.

Majority of deaths due to kala-azar are from three high-focus States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Their weak health infrastructure in these States is the likely cause of unsatisfactory performance, the panel said.

Against the target of filaria/microfilaria reduction by 70 per cent by 2010, 80 per cent by 2012 and elimination by 2015, the overall reduction was only 26.74 per cent during the first two years of the Eleventh Plan. “For achieving a better coverage of annual mass drug administration in the population at risk; it is important that before initiating the round, a good rapport is established with the community through BCC activities. In addition, States not covered in the earlier round (Bihar and Tamil Nadu) should also be included,” the report said.

The panel also assessed that there was good progress in the case of some programmes. Target of overall cure rate of 85 per cent in the case of tuberculosis has been achieved during the first two years. In 2007-08, as against a target of 50 lakh cataract operations, 54.05 lakh operations were carried out. The following year, 58.1 lakh cataract operations were conducted as against the target of 60 lakh. The overall target of reducing leprosy prevalence rate from 1.8 per 10,000 in 2005 to less than 1 per 10,000 has been achieved. As many as 510 (81 per cent) districts have achieved the target during the first two years of Eleventh Plan.

The overall reduction of dengue was 56.52 per cent during the first two years of the Plan. It had aimed at mortality reduction by 50 per cent by 2010, and sustaining that level until 2012.

Recently a report on Neglected Tropical Diseases released by the WHO has outlined the breathtaking economic cost that developing countries such as India face in coping with diseases such as hookworm infection, lymphatic filariasis and visceral leishmaniasis, commonly known as kala-azar.