The Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative (GBUI) is a
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
(WHO) initiative to coordinate global efforts to control
Buruli ulcer
Buruli ulcer () is an infectious disease characterized by the development of painless open wounds. The disease is limited to certain areas of the world, most cases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. The first sign of infection is a s ...
,
an
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...
characterized by the development of painless open wounds.
It was started in 1998
after a 1997 visit to
Côte d'Ivoire by
Hiroshi Nakajima
was a Japanese doctor known chiefly for his tenure as Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Early life and education
He was born in Chiba, Japan, on 16 May 1928.
In 1955 Nakajima received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical University, ...
, who was then the general director of the WHO,
recognizing the lack of research and a growing disease burden.
Initially established with funding from the
Nippon Foundation
of Tokyo, Japan, is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryoichi Sasakawa. The foundation's mission is to direct Japanese motorboat racing revenue into philanthropic activities, it uses this money ...
, as of 2020 the GBUI involves more than 40 nongovernmental organizations, research institutions, and other foundations.
[ A 2004 WHO resolution "called for increasing surveillance and control, and for intensified research to develop tools to diagnose, treat and prevent" Buruli ulcer.][ In 2009, a strategy to promote early detection and provide wider access to ]antibiotics
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...
was adopted.
References
{{reflist
External links
Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative
– World Health Organization
World Health Organization
Public health
International medical and health organizations