#aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cdfj ,,an ,,act ,to facilitate effective research on and treatment of neglected tropical diseases through coordinated international efforts4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,end ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,act4 #b4 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title4 ,sec4 #b4 ,table of contents4 ,sec4 #c4 ,statement of policy4 ,sec4 #d4 ,findings4 ,sec4 #e4 ,definition4 ,sec4 #f4 ,rule of construction4 ,sec4 #g4 ,expansion of ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program4 ,sec4 #h4 ,actions by ,department of ,state4 ,sec4 #i4 ,multilateral development and health institutions4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to support a broad range of implementation and research and development activities that work toward the achievement of cost-effective and sustainable treatment1 control1 and1 where possible1 elimination of neglected tropical diseases for the economic and social well-being of all people4 #d4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,world ,health ,organization 7,,who7 has identified #ag neglected tropical diseases 7,n,t,ds74 ,approximately #b billion people1 almost one-third of the world's population1 are at risk of contracting an ,,ntd1 and more than #a4d billion people are currently afflicted with #a or more ,n,t,ds4 7#b7 ,in #bjac1 ,,who adopted a comprehensive resolution on ,n,t,ds recognizing that increased national and international investments in prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases have succeeded in improving health and social well-being in many countries4 7#c7 ,n,t,ds have an enormous impact in terms of disease burden and quality of life4 ,n,t,ds cause the loss of up to #ecd1jjj lives and #eg million disability-adjusted life-years each year4 ,n,t,ds surpass both malaria and tuberculosis in causing greater loss of life-years to disability and premature death4 ,many ,n,t,ds cause disfigurement and disability1 leading to stigma1 social discrimination1 and societal marginalization4 7#d7 ,n,t,ds create an economic burden of billions of dollars through the loss of productivity and high costs of health care required for treatment4 ,people afflicted by ,n,t,ds are less productive than their healthy counterparts4 ,n,t,ds jeopardize the ability of people to attend work and school1 or to produce at full capacity4 ,for example1 controlling one ,,ntd1 hookworm1 in children can result in a #dc-percent increase in future wage earnings4 7#e7 ,the social1 economic1 and health burden of ,n,t,ds falls primarily on low- and middle-income countries1 where access to safe water1 sanitation1 and health care is limited4 ,at least #ajj countries face #b endemic ,,ntd burdens1 and #cj countries carry #f or more endemic ,n,t,ds4 7#f7 ,n,t,ds are not confined to the developing world1 however4 ,several ,,ntd outbreaks have been reported in the ,united ,states and other developed countries1 especially among the poor4 ,in the ,united ,states1 ,n,t,ds disproportionately affect people living in poverty1 and especially minorities1 including up to #b4h million ,african ,americans with toxocariasis and #cjj1jjj or more people1 mostly ,hispanic ,americans1 with ,chagas disease4 7#g7 ,many ,n,t,ds can be controlled1 prevented1 and even eliminated using low-cost1 effective1 and feasible solutions4 ,understanding the economic burden of ,n,t,ds on productivity and health care costs can help to assure governments and donors that the resources directed toward ,n,t,ds represent a good investment4 7#h7 ,research and development efforts are immediately needed for all ,n,t,ds1 especially those for which limited or no treatment currently exists4 7#i7 ,critical to developing robust ,,ntd control strategies are epidemiological data that identify at-risk populations1 ensure appropriate treatment frequency1 and inform decisions about when treatment can be reduced or stopped4 7#aj7 ,of the #ad most common ,n,t,ds1 roughly #hj percent of infections are caused by soil-transmitted helminths 7,,sth7 and schistosomiasis4 ,,sth are a group of #c parasitic worms 7roundworms1 whipworms1 and hookworms7 that afflict more than #a billion people worldwide1 including #fjj million school-age children1 of whom more than #cjj million suffer from severe morbidity4 ,schistosomiasis is another helminth infection affecting at least #bjj million people in developing countries1 but some estimates indicate that the true number of people affected may be double or even triple that number4 7#aa7 ,the benefits of deworming are immediate and enduring4 ,a rigorous randomized controlled trial has shown school-based deworming treatment to reduce school absenteeism by #be percent4 ,school-based deworming also benefits young siblings and other children who live nearby but are too young to be treated1 leading to large cognitive improvements equivalent to half a year of schooling4 #e4 ,definition ,in this ,act1 the term neglected tropical diseases or ,n,t,ds-- 7#a7 means infections caused by pathogens1 including viruses1 bacteria1 protozoa1 and helminths that disproportionately impact individuals living in extreme poverty1 especially in developing countries2 and 7#b7 includes-- 7,a7 ,buruli ulcer 7,mycobacterium ,ulcerans infection72 7,b7 ,chagas disease2 7,c7 dengue or severe dengue fever2 7,d7 dracunculiasis 7,guinea worm disease72 7,e7 echinococcosis2 7,f7 foodborne trematodiases2 7,g7 human ,african trypanosomiasis 7sleeping sickness72 7,h7 leishmaniasis2 7,i7 leprosy2 7,j7 lymphatic filariasis 7elephantiasis72 7,k7 onchocerciasis 7river blindness72 7,l7 scabies2 7,m7 schistosomiasis2 7,n7 soil-transmitted helminthiases 7,,sth7 7roundworm1 whipworm1 and hookworm72 7,o7 taeniasis_/cysticercosis2 7,p7 trachoma2 and 7,q7 yaws 7endemic treponematoses74 #f4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to increase authorizations of appropriations for the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 #g4 ,expansion of ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,since fiscal year #bjjf1 the ,united ,states ,government has been an essential leader in global efforts to control seven targeted neglected tropical diseases3 lymphatic filariasis 7elephantiasis71 onchocerciasis 7river blindness71 schistosomiasis1 soil-transmitted helminthiases 7roundworm1 whipworm1 and hookworm71 and trachoma4 ,additional information suggests that such efforts could also produce collateral benefits for at least three other neglected tropical diseases3 foodborne trematodiases1 scabies1 and yaws 7endemic treponematoses74 7#b7 ,the ,united ,states ,government is a partner in the ,london ,declaration on ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases 7#bjab71 which represents a new1 coordinated international push to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling #aj ,n,t,ds by #bjbj4 7#c7 ,while many of the most common ,n,t,ds have safe1 easy to use1 and effective treatments1 treatment options for the ,n,t,ds with the highest death rates1 including human ,african trypanosomiasis 7sleeping sickness71 visceral leishmaniasis1 and ,chagas disease1 are extremely limited4 7#d7 ,the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7,,usaid7 ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program has made important and substantial contributions to the global fight to control and eliminate #e of the most common ,n,t,ds4 ,leveraging more than #ae1gjj1jjj1jjj in donated medicines1 ,,usaid has supported the distribution of more than #a billion treatments in #ca countries across ,africa1 ,asia1 and ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean4 7#e7 ,since #bjad1 the ,,usaid ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program has been investing in research and development for the treatment of certain ,n,t,ds to ensure that promising new breakthrough medicines can be rapidly evaluated1 registered1 and made available to patients4 7#f7 ,the ,,usaid ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program is a clear example of a successful public-private partnership between the ,government and the private sector and should be judiciously expanded1 as practicable and appropriate4 7b7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,,usaid ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program1 as in effect on the date of the enactment of this ,act1 should-- 7#a7 provide integrated drug treatment packages to as many individuals suffering from ,n,t,ds or at risk of acquiring ,n,t,ds1 including individuals displaced by manmade and natural disasters1 as logistically feasible2 7#b7 better integrate ,,ntd control and treatment tools and approaches into complementary development and global health programs by coordinating1 to the extent practicable and appropriate1 across multiple sectors1 including those relating to ,,hiv_/,,aids1 malaria1 tuberculosis1 education1 nutrition1 other infectious diseases1 maternal and child health1 and water1 sanitation1 and hygiene2 7#c7 establish low-cost1 high-impact community- and school-based ,,ntd programs to reach large at-risk populations1 including school-age children1 with integrated drug treatment packages1 as feasible2 7#d7 as opportunities emerge and resources allow1 engage in research and development of new tools and approaches to reach the goals relating to the elimination of ,n,t,ds as set forth by the #bjab ,world ,health ,organization publication ,accelerating ,work to ,overcome the ,global ,impact of ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases3 ,a ,roadmap for ,implementation1 including for ,chagas disease1 ,guinea worm1 human ,african trypanosomiasis 7sleeping sickness71 leprosy1 and visceral leishmaniasis2 and 7#e7 monitor research on and developments in the prevention and treatment of other ,n,t,ds so breakthroughs can be incorporated into the ,,usaid ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program1 as practicable and appropriate4 7c7 ,program priorities ,the ,administrator of ,,usaid should incorporate the following priorities into the ,,usaid ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases ,program 7as in effect on the date of the enactment of this ,act73 7#a7 ,planning for and conducting robust monitoring and evaluation of program investments in order to accurately measure impact1 identify and share lessons learned1 and inform future ,,ntd control and elimination strategies4 7#b7 ,coordinating program activities with complementary ,,usaid development and global health programs1 including programs relating to water1 sanitation1 and hygiene1 food and nutrition security1 and education 7both primary and secondary71 in order to advance the goals of the ,london ,declaration on ,neglected ,tropical ,diseases 7#bjab74 7#c7 ,including morbidity management in treatment plans for high-burden ,n,t,ds4 7#d7 ,incorporating ,n,t,ds included in the ,global ,burden of ,disease ,study #bjaj into the program as opportunities emerge1 to the extent practicable and appropriate4 7#e7 ,continuing investments in the research and development of new tools and approaches that complement existing research investments and ensure that new discoveries make it through the pipeline and become available to individuals who need them most4 #h4 ,actions by ,department of ,state 7a7 ,office of the global ,,aids coordinator ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,coordinator of ,united ,states ,government ,activities to ,combat ,,hiv_/,,aids ,globally should fully consider evolving research on the impact of ,n,t,ds on efforts to control ,,hiv_/,,aids when making future programming decisions1 as necessary and appropriate4 7b7 ,global programming 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state should encourage the ,global ,fund to take into consideration evolving research on the impact of ,n,t,ds on efforts to control ,,hiv_/,,aids when making programming decisions1 particularly with regard to female genital schistosomiasis1 which studies suggest may be one of the most significant cofactors in the ,,aids epidemic in ,africa1 as necessary and appropriate4 7#b7 ,global fund ,in this subsection1 the term ,global ,fund means the public-private partnership known as the ,global ,fund to ,fight ,,aids1 ,tuberculosis and ,malaria established pursuant to ,article #hj of the ,swiss ,civil ,code4 7c7 ,g-#bj countries ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,office of ,global ,health ,diplomacy1 should encourage ,g-#bj countries to significantly increase their role in the control and elimination of ,n,t,ds4 #i4 ,multilateral development and health institutions 7a7 ,congressional finding ,congress finds that the treatment of ,n,t,ds1 including community- and school-based deworming programs1 can be a highly cost-effective intervention1 and schools can serve as an effective delivery mechanism for reaching large numbers of children with safe treatment for soil-transmitted helminthiases 7roundworm1 whipworm1 and hookworm7 in particular4 7b7 ,united nations ,the ,president should direct the ,united ,states permanent representative to the ,united ,nations to use the voice1 vote1 and influence of the ,united ,states to urge the ,world ,health ,organization and the ,united ,nations ,development ,programme to-- 7#a7 ensure the dissemination of best practices and programming on ,n,t,ds to governments and make data accessible to practitioners in an open and timely fashion2 7#b7 highlight impacts of community- and school-based deworming programs on children's health and education1 emphasizing the cost-effectiveness of such programs2 7#c7 encourage governments to implement deworming campaigns at the national level2 7#d7 consider the designation of a portion of grant funds of the institutions to deworming initiatives and cross-sectoral collaboration with water1 sanitation1 and hygiene efforts and nutrition or education programming1 as practicable and appropriate2 7#e7 encourage accurate monitoring and evaluation of ,,ntd programs1 including deworming programs2 and 7#f7 engage governments in cross-border initiatives for the treatment1 control1 prevention1 and elimination of ,n,t,ds1 and assist in developing transnational agreements1 when and where necessary4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,december #c1 #bjai4;,clerk4