UNITE. ACT. ELIMINATE NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
In today’s world, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) should not have a place. These are ancient diseases which have lived through human history, yet with the increasing availability of effective medicine, preventive strategies, and other advances in science, we now have the means to eliminate suffering from them permanently. The WHO African Region carries 39% of the global burden of NTDs – not simply impacting the health of over 580 million people, but also affecting education, economic and wider community prospects. Eliminating NTDs, therefore, is both a health issue and a broader issue of social justice.
Today, World NTD Day will be commemorated with the theme of Unite, Act and Eliminate NTDs:
UNITE. Global unity and solidarity are essential to eliminate or eradicate NTDs. The WHO NTD roadmap 2021-2030 and the African Union Continental Framework and Common African Position on NTDs have clearly laid out the path towards successfully controlling, eliminating and eradicating NTDs.
ACT. Concerted action is needed to deliver proven interventions to the communities needlessly suffering from these diseases. NTD investment is one of the best buys in global health, and yet resources for NTD research and development, service delivery and programmatic action are much lower compared to other global health initiatives. Mobilizing resources from both public and private institutions to achieve the NTD roadmap targets is critical.
ELIMINATE. To date, 21 countries have eliminated at least one NTD in the WHO African Region. Since 2013, the number of people requiring interventions against NTDs in the region has reduced by 88 million. To date, six African countries have been officially validated as having eliminated at least one of the five priority NTDs through preventive chemotherapy: Malawi and Togo have eliminated lymphatic filariasis; Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali and Togo have eliminated trachoma.
Building on the lessons learnt from these countries, acceleration of the elimination of NTDs in the remaining endemic countries is critical.
Our Growing NTD Investments
During COP28 in the UAE, the Reaching the Last Mile Forum met to discuss NTDs. Alongside other organizations, CIFFcommitted $50 million for an onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis free Africa. This will help close the funding gap needed to expedite progress toward eliminating at least one NTD in at least 100 countries by 2030, and reduce by 90% the number of people requiring treatment. Read more here.
CIFF is supporting the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) to develop NTD scorecards in four countries; these scorecards are critical to monitor progress and inform programmatic actions. The scorecards also provide continuous monitoring of sub-national performances, which will help in developing tailored actions.
The progress so far has shown that elimination of NTDs is within reach in our generation. To accelerate the progress and advance the goal of a world free of NTDs, we must act now and act together.