The NeuroSolve Kick-Off Meeting held in Lusaka (Zambia) on 4th December 2023 has been published by the Times Zambia. The newspaper article reports that based on a study conducted by the University of Zambia (UNZA) the 60% of the epilepsy cases are caused by Neurocysticercosis. After having opened the meeting, the UNZA acting vice-cancellor Prof. Boniface Namangala added that neurocysticercosis is one of the most neglected zoonotic tropical diseases despite being the leading cause of epilepsy and severe burden in communities, often with fatal consequences. Speaking at the same event and launching officially the NeuroSolve project, the Zambian Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in-charge of donor coordination Dr George Sinyangwe said that 13 milion of people are at risk of being affected at least by one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and that preliminary results demonstrate that combination of drugs can work better than a single drug. The burden of neurocysticercosis was higlighted also by the President of the Veterinary Association of Zambia (VAZ) Dr. Malcom Chiyoba, as studies show that for every 10 people with epilepsy (PWE), 6 are affected by neurocysticercosis. All representatives of the authorities underlined the importance of North-South collaboration with the European Union through the EDCTP3 program in the fight against neglected tropical diseases such as neurocysticercosis.
