Burden of neglected tropical diseases and access to medicine and diagnostics in Ethiopia: A scoping review

AbstractBackground The World Health Organization’s new roadmap for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) 2021–2030 aims to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate 20 tropical diseases that are affecting the lives of 1.5 billion people worldwide. Ethiopia experiences a high burden of these diseases, but current access to diagnostics, medicine and /or care has been little explored to inform the country’s NTD strategic plan. This scoping review aimed to map and characterize the burden of NTDs and challenges in access to diagnostics, medicine and /or care in Ethiopia. Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from January 2000 until May 2022 and without restrictions of language or study design. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) was followed and the findings were synthesized narratively. Results The search resulted in 4,532 articles, of which 105 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the scoping review under three themes: burden of NTDs, access to medicine/drug, care and diagnostics. Although gains have been made in the prevention and control of NTDs in Ethiopia, the burden remains high and progress in access to diagnostics, medicine/drugs, and/or care is very slow. Poverty, poor quality of life, and underfunding of NTD programs decelerate the process of NTD elimination program in the country. Conclusions The review identified a considerable number of studies on the burden of NTDs in Ethiopia and strategies for diagnosis, treatment and/or care; however, there is a paucity of evidence on the suitability and potential benefits of novel diagnostic technologies and medicines in the country. A regular review and analysis of such country-level evidence is important to inform the country NTDs roadmap and local implementation strategies.