YCNTDs and NNN partner to Launch the First Youth-Led Event at NNN Conference

As the world increasingly embraces youth on the WHO #2030RoadMap to #EndNTDs, it must be remembered that youth cannot engage other youth alone. We need to be integrated into national and international platforms meaningfully to contribute effectively to policy and action for change. 

This is the powerful statement made by WHO’s Priya Pathak who was in the audience at our first youth-led panel discussion at the 2023 NNN Conference. For many attendees present at the event, this statement not only resonated as a point to consider and act on going forward, but it also spoke to the very reason why our event was needed on this platform. In this article, we share more highlights, key learnings, as well as our full experience from the event and conference.

From the 19th to –21st of September 2023, Youth Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (YCNTDs), supported by Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (UTC), attended the 14th annual NTD NGO Network (NNN) Conference where we were invited to host the very first youth led panel discussion in the history of the conference.  

Titled Demand Generation: The Role of Youth in Creating a Movement to End NTDs, our event took place on 20 September 2023 in Dar es Salaam. The event was hosted by two YCNTDs Advisory Board members, Mary-Jean Nleya and Joachim Mabula, with the panel including young NTD advocates and practitioners from YCNTDs (Hooria Amiri), the NTDs Youth Organization in Japan, The Leprosy Mission in Nepal, and Research Triangle International.

In delivering the event, YCNTDs sought to achieve internal program goals and contribute to the NNN2023 objectives by: 

  • Setting a precedent and model for young people to contribute to and be included in the NNN going forward. 
  • Introducing young practitioners as professionals and advocacy leaders in the NTD space. 
  • Increasing the demand for NTD services in endemic countries, particularly by youth groups. 
  • Exposing the cross-sectoral link between NTDs and emerging global health priorities such as Climate Change, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR).

During the panel discussion, 5 key insights emerged:

  • 💡 To eliminate the neglect of tropical diseases, it is crucial that we effectively highlight them as part of broader health systems and as directly linked to the emergency health crises o
    f today. 
  • 💡 As the heirs to the global health systems, youth carry an added responsibility to generate demand to end the neglect of NTDs. As a result, youth championship and leadership in the NTDs space should be an end goal in itself. 
  • 💡 For the youth, storytelling plays a huge role in generating demand and creating a movement to end NTDs. It is especially effective when we are able to adapt it to changing media and to various stakeholders. 
  • 💡 Social media has been identified time and again as an effective tool for advocacy and raising awareness for NTDs. However, in communities where affected people may not have access to the internet, we should also lean on the will and expertise of grassroots parliamentarians and practitioners. 
  • 💡As the world increasingly embraces youth on the WHO #2030RoadMap to #EndNTDs, it must be remembered that youth cannot engage other youth alone. We need to be integrated into national and international platforms meaningfully to contribute effectively to policy and action for change. 

The NNN2023 conference marked an important milestone for us as it provided the opportunity to go back to the place where YCNTDs was established in 2020 to convene the first youth-led panel event of the conference. 

We are also excited to report that during the conference we connected with our peers from One Health Society Tanzania as well as other NTD organizations and Champions who expressed their interest in various forms of collaboration with YCNTDs in the future.

Our YCNTDs event recording is now available for streaming on our YouTube channel.

Youth Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (YCNTDs) is a global community of young changemakers fighting to end Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) through engaging, empowering, and supporting communities to become disease-free.  As an initiative of Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (UTC) and Future Africa Forum, YCNTDs engages with stakeholders whose work contributes towards the elimination of NTDs.


Inaugural meeting of the WHO Youth Council

From January 27-30, Youth Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (YCNTDs) participated in the first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) Youth Council in-person meeting in Geneva, Switzerland at the WHO headquarters. This meeting brought together 22 diverse youth organizations from health and non-health backgrounds from all over the world, representing the power of youth in driving positive change for public health.

 

The WHO Youth Council was established in June 2022 with the goal of amplifying the voices and experiences of young people and leveraging their expertise, energy, and ideas to promote public health. The meeting served as an important space for Youth Combating NTDs to share their experiences in combating Neglected Tropical Diseases and highlight key priorities in addressing health equity challenges faced by the youth.

 

During the four-day meeting, the Youth Council members discussed key priorities and work plans to accelerate progress on universal health coverage, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, and youth leading for health. They interacted with the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Chair of the WHO Executive Board, Dr. Kerstin Vesna Petrič, and other senior WHO leaders to brainstorm on concrete initiatives.

 

During the meeting, the WHO Youth Council agreed on mechanisms for making partnership opportunities accessible to young people across the globe through the networks represented by the Youth Council members, identified avenues to showcase the Youth Council's work during key WHO meetings and collaborative events, explored gaps in the availability of data on health inequity issues of young people and identifying WHO technical support to report these gaps and developed a proposal to engage with WHO Member States, including the inclusion of youth delegates as part of delegations from Member States.

 

The WHO Youth Council is an exciting platform for young people to design and incubate new initiatives and expand WHO's existing youth engagement activities. Through the Youth Council, WHO will develop an inclusive Youth Engagement Strategy across all levels of the organization, ensuring that the perspectives and needs of young people are heard and acted upon.

 

In conclusion, the inaugural face-to-face gathering of the WHO Youth Council was a resounding triumph that united various youth groups from around the globe with a shared objective of advancing public health and we look forward to championing Neglected Tropical Diseases on this global stage. 


Zimbabwean entrepreneur launches global board to fight Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

Youth Combating NTDs founder and Zimbabwean entrepreneur Gerald Chirinda unveiled his global advisory board today as he urged world leaders not to forget NTDs in the fight against Covid-19.

Included in the inspirational young line up is a scientist from Gambia, an anthropologist from the Philippines and a fellow Zimbabwean, Alistair Shingirai Mukondiwa.

Gerald Chirinda is proud that so many young people are stepping up to be heard.  He says: "As the largest demographic in the world, young people are also the largest at risk of being affected by NTDs. Young people represent a key constituent within the community, one that brings energy, innovative thinking and talent. Youth Combating NTDs is a global community of young people who are fighting to end NTDs. This youth-focused and led initiative is designed to mainstream the participation of young people within the NTD community across all its activities. We empower young leaders that are passionate about learning, with a view of being actively involved in the work of the NTD community in various capacities that range from advocacy to policy making."

Gerald and members of his new advisory board joined speakers from the World Health Organization (WHO), government officials and a variety of NGOs at a virtual global event calling on world leaders not to forget the fight against NTDs - which affect one in five people on the planet.

 

One of the participants, Zimbabwean student Alistair Shingirai Mukondiwa, 24, is delighted with his new appointment on the advisory board. He says: "Joining the board has been humbling. As a young person and a healthcare student, it's about taking ownership of the future and correcting the past that allowed some diseases to be ‘neglected' simply because of whom they affected. It is exciting that we are assisting community champions to accelerate the fight against NTDs, in countries such as my own and beyond."

Gerald adds: "Our mission is to build an effective global community of youth who are fighting NTDs, by equipping and strengthening young advocates and leaders with the resources that amplify their voices and influence in innovating and shaping policies that will end NTDs in their communities.  Millennials can help to end Neglected Tropical Diseases and our new advisory board will help us to spread that message."
The full advisory board line-up

•    Noella Bigirimana (Chair) - Rwanda
•    Matt Hughsam - Canada
•    Dr. Neneh Sallah - Gambia
•    Enow Awah Georges Stevens - Cameroon
•    Dr. Kikiope Oluwarore - Nigeria
•    Nilesh Jambhekar - India
•    Jona Claire Turalde - Phillipines
•    Dr. Joachim Mabula - Tanzania
•    Shomy Hasan Chowdhury - Bangladesh
•    Geoffrey Otieno - Kenya
•    Lucy Fagan - United Kingdom
•    Alistair Shingirai Mukondiwa - Zimbabwe
•    Mary-Jean Nleya - Botswana

 

Source: https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-lifestyle-sc-health-byo-188313.html


Bangladeshi campaigner urges world leaders not to forget NTDs

Shomy Hasan Chowdhury, from Dhaka, Bangladesh has been selected as one of just 13 young activists from across the globe forming the first ever advisory board at a youth-led organization to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

The 26 year-old campaigner joins an impressive line-up of young talent which includes a scientist from Gambia, an anthropologist from the Philippines and an entrepreneur from Tanzania on the board of Youth Combating NTDs, a press release said.

One of the first orders of business for Shomy was to join the World Health Organization (WHO), government officials and a variety of NGOs as they called on world leaders not to forget the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) - which affect one in five people on the planet.   Shomy spoke at a virtual global summit organised by Uniting to Combat NTDs which is aiming to keep NTDs on the health agenda as world leaders and policy makers tackle Covid.

Shomy has already received much recognition for her social work, notably the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold) from President Barack Obama for her outstanding contribution to community service. Most recently she has become the first Bangladeshi to be awarded the 2019 Diana Legacy Award for her humanitarian work continuing Princess Diana’s legacy.

 

Shomy, a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) activist, says: “"Bangladesh needs to step up its efforts against NTDs. I believe that young people could be a driving force to help escalate that."

Youth Combating NTDs founder Gerald Chirinda is delighted Shomy has been appointed to the board. He says: “As the largest demographic in the world, young people are also the largest at risk of being affected by NTDs. Young people represent a key constituent within the community, one that brings energy, innovative thinking and talent. Shomy has demonstrated passion and focus in her social work to date. She brings determination, knowledge and a clear vision of what she would like to achieve.”

He continues: “Youth Combating NTDs is a global community of young people who are fighting to end NTDs. This youth-focused and led initiative is designed to mainstream the participation of young people within the NTD community across all its activities. We empower young leaders that are passionate about learning, with a view of being actively involved in the work of the NTD community in various capacities that range from advocacy to policy making.

“Our mission is to build an effective global community of youth who are fighting NTDs, by equipping and strengthening young advocates and leaders with the resources that amplify their voices and influence in innovating and shaping policies that will end NTDs in their communities.  Millennials can help to end Neglected Tropical Diseases and Shomy will help us to spread that message.

“We are asking people to join the global pledge at #EndTheNegect”

 

Source: https://www.jagonews24.com/en/amp/50712 


Teardrops urges leaders not to neglect existing diseases

Mark Joshua Ouma, better known as Teardrops, joined speakers from the World Health Organization (WHO), government officials, NGOs and youth groups today calling on world leaders not to forget the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – which affect one in five people on the planet.

The 29-year-old Kenyan poet based in Nairobi created a spoken word exclusive for the virtual event hosted by Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases in London.

 

“I refuse to just stand and watch diseases with complicated names trying to complicate lives,” muses Teardrops in his piece. “I refuse to live in a world where politicians can go to the driest part of the continent to look for votes but not to distribute medicine.”

His spoken words featured as part of a global event calling on country leaders and policymakers to remember over 1.7 billion people affected by NTDs, and continue the commitment set out in the London Declaration eight years ago. It featured a special session by Youth Combating NTDs, which is where the lyrical message was played.

Youth Combating NTDs founder Gerald Chirinda is delighted that Teardrops has added his voice to the call.

He says: “As the largest demographic in the world, young people are also the largest at risk of being affected by NTDs. Young people represent a key constituent within the community, one that brings energy, innovative thinking and talent.

Youth Combating NTDs is a global community of young people who are fighting to end NTDs. This youth-focused and led initiative is designed to mainstream the participation of young people within the NTD community across all its activities.

We empower young leaders that are passionate about learning, with a view of being actively involved in the work of the NTD community in various capacities that range from advocacy to policymaking.

“Millennials can help to end Neglected Tropical Diseases and Teardrops is helping us to spread that message.”

 

Source: https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/editors-picks/teardrops-urges-leaders-not-to-neglect-existing-diseases

 


Call for Advisory Board Applications

About Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs, are a group of debilitating infectious diseases that affect over 1.6 billion people worldwide. They disable, disfigure and sometimes kill – keeping children out of school, adults out of work and trapping communities in endless cycles of poverty.

About Youth Combating NTDs

Youth Combating NTDs is a global community of young people who are fighting against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). This youth-focused and led initiative, is designed to mainstream the participation of young people within the NTD community across all its activities. Youth Combating NTDs is an initiative of Uniting to Combat NTDs.

The Youth Advisory Board

Youth Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases, is currently looking for young exceptional people to join its Youth Advisory Board, to develop and drive a youth strategy as well as directly advise the Neglected Tropical Disease community on its policies and programmes relating to youth.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The Youth Advisory Board will help to improve the relevance, mobilization and outreach of different NTD initiatives among young people in endemic and donor countries.

The Board will help the community to improve its response to the needs of youth.

The Board will have a strategic advisory role, working closely with Uniting to Combat NTD’s and other stakeholders working in WASH, Diagnostics, Pharmaceuticals and Government.

The Board will contribute to increase the level and quality of youth participation in the planning, implementation and monitoring of NTD related programmes.

The Board members will represent the youth voice and serve as external faces of the community on various fora which include events, meetings, field visits and media

Board Composition

The Board will consist of 12 members aged 18 to 35 years, who are working or involved with local youth and/or professional organizations in various capacities, in countries were NTDs are prevalent and in donor countries.

Eligible candidates will be identified through an open call based on their work and background in one of the following areas (or any other relevant areas):

  • Academic
  • Advocacy
  • Business – Social/Impact/Other
  • Education & Youth Development
  • Health
  • Living with/survivor of one or more NTDs
  • Media
  • Philanthropy
  • Policy

Eligibility Criteria

Board members will be selected based on fulfilling the following criteria, with further information to be given to selected candidates:

  • Ages between 18-33 at the time of application.
  • Language capacity to understand development concepts and to articulate them clearly (in English).
  • Preference will be given to those with strong communication and/or advocacy skills in order to ensure strong youth voices and active participation in meetings.
  • Represent a diversity of age, racial and geographic characteristics and an overall gender balance.
  • Commitment to support follow up actions and recommendations as outcomes of the Board discussions.
  • Willingness to commit personally to the Board’s work and to have the flexibility and availability to participate in meetings and other activities pertinent to the work of the Board.
  • Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally and possess valid travel documents.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to apply online via this link

Applications close on 30 April 2020.


A New Youth-Led Organization Just Launched to Fight Neglected Tropical Diseases

The End the Neglect campaign aims to raise awareness and call for action on the elimination of NTDs.

As global health efforts to tackle the current coronavirus outbreak intensify around the world, health advocates for a lesser-known — but just as important — group of diseases launched a new global campaign.

Health organization Uniting to Combat NTDs launched its year-long End the Neglect campaign at a meeting alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Thursday to raise awareness and call for action on the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

NTDs is a term used to describe a group of parasitic and bacterial diseases that have serious side effects. They can blind, disfigure, and debilitate people, according to the WHO.

As their name — and the End the Neglect campaign — suggests, these diseases are neglected, in large part due to the fact that they are diseases that primarily affect those living in poverty.

The campaign kickoff coincides with the launch of a new organization — Youth Combating NTDs. It is a youth-led initiative, spearheaded by Uniting to Combat NTDs and Future Africa Forum, that seeks to empower, engage, and support young people in their efforts to tackle NTDs.

The youth participants convened in Dar es Salaam to participate in the launch of this global movement.

“I have been a youth advocate for NTDs since 2016, and in April 2017, while at a Gates Foundation event celebrating progress being made in NTDs, I made a commitment that I would engage more young people in the fight against NTDs,” Gerald Chirinda, founder of Future Africa Forum and co-founder of Youth Combating NTDs, told Global Citizen. “This is my way of fulfilling the commitment that I made then.”

Chirinda said that 75% of the attendees at Thursday’s event were young activists from more than 13 countries, specifically from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.

Earlier this year, the very first World NTD Day was held on Jan. 30 in an effort to spark international conversations, engage everyday people, and to call on world leaders to commit to working to eliminate NTDs.

Uniting to Combat NTDs and Youth Combating NTDs now aim to continue this work throughout the year.

Shomy Hasan Chowdhury, a 25-year-old activist from Bangladesh, is one of the youth activists who have joined Youth Combating NTDs.

Having worked as a health advocate for many years, Hasan Chowdhury believes this new initiative is especially powerful because it is being led by the youth.

“We can be a powerful driving force being a crucial stakeholder in this global movement against NTDs,” she told Global Citizen. “Young people have the energy, passion, and sense of responsibility to solve the pressing problems we are facing today.”

Hasan Chowdhury has worked extensively as a water and sanitation (WASH) activist and wants to integrate WASH into the fight to end NTDs, as she believes they are interconnected.

“I have seen firsthand how young people can trigger change and be empowered. We can win this fight against NTDs faster and with greater efficiency if we involve young people directly,” she said.

This year is an especially important one as it marks 10 years to the final deadline for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which collectively aim to end extreme poverty by 2030.

SDG 3 aims to ensure good health and well-being for all and therefore includes a significant call to action for the elimination of NTDs.

The 2012 London Declaration on NTDs brought pharmaceutical companies, donors, endemic countries, and other organizations together to commit to pushing for support and investment in tackling NTDs.

Since then, 31 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, according to Uniting to Combat NTDs.

This year, the Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs, created by RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Uniting to Combat NTDs, will take place on June 25, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The event will provide a platform to call on world leaders to make commitments to these efforts.

There are already inexpensive treatments for many NTDs and some are close to being eliminated.

“With the launch of the new WHO NTD 2030 Roadmap during the Kigali Summit in June, this is a crucial time in the fight to beat NTDs,” Uniting to Combat NTDs said in a statement to partners about its campaign.

It added: “The Uniting to Combat NTDs partnership aims to raise awareness of NTDs in target countries, among a range of audience, to create an enabling environment for policymakers in endemic and donor countries to politically and financially commit to NTDs.”

This article was originally published by Global Citizen: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/youth-combating-neglected-tropical-diseases/


Youth urged to take a driving seat in the fight against NTDs

The call was made by Mariatheresa Kadushi, founder of a Dar es Salaam based—Mobile Afya Info firm—Mobile Afya, when responding to a question on why young people should care about NTDs.

The question was a result of presentation and discussions following a launch of two global campaigns End the Neglect and Youth Combating NTDs in Dar es Salaam last week.

Mariatheresa said that young people are the most affected by NTDs, and constitute a large number of the population, “so if they do not engage in the fight to end NTDs now, which trap communities in endless cycle of poverty and cost developing countries billions of dollar every year, come 2030, the effect of the NTDs will be mostly felt by them (young people).”

“Because we are the mainly affected group by NTDs, in Tanzania young people under 15 years old are 44% of the population and youth of 15 – 35 years old are 35% of the total population, if the effects of these diseases are not reduced and eliminated they will affect a huge a number of young people who live in poverty and have little or no access to healthcare,” Mariatheresa said.

She added: “As youth we can no longer stand and watch diseases that have affected our parents and grandparent continue to affect our generation as well, these diseases are preventable and treatable, so we want to take charge and drive the fight to create an NTDs free generation.”

According Mariatheresa, youth commitment is in the belief that, they are the generation to end NTDs using their innovative approaches, collective voices, cross-sector partnerships, creativity and unmatched drive.

“This is youth’s fight. Together with all partners involved and our leaders we will combat NTDs,” said Mariatheresa emphatically.

Earlier, Dr Mwelecela Ntuli Malecela, Director of the Control of NTDs at the World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the youth initiative and pledged to working with them to end NTDs.“I welcome the Youth Combating NTDs initiative and look forward to working with the younger generation towards a world free of these diseases of poverty,” she said.

Youth Combating NTDs is designed to encourage the participation of young people globally in the fight to beat NTDs. The initiative will equip and strengthen young advocates and leaders with the necessary resources to amplify their voice and effectively shape policies, to end NTDs in their communities. As the digital space is key for mobilizing Millennials and Generation Z, youth plans to leverage social media to raise awareness of NTDs, and engage and activate the global youth community.


Partners unite to spark global movements to end neglected tropical diseases

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Today, Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) launched End the Neglect, a year-long campaign set to ignite a global movement to raise awareness and inspire action to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The announcement took place alongside the launch of the newly formed initiative Youth Combating NTDs, a youth-led initiative aimed at empowering, engaging and supporting young people to help tackle NTDs.

The global End the Neglect and Youth Combating NTDs announcements were featured during a high-level briefing on NTDs in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and World Health Organization in Tanzania. Both the campaign and youth movement aim to end the neglect of these debilitating diseases, and to make the invisible, visible – from over 1.5 billion people affected by NTDs, to the youth voices all too often left without a seat at the decision-making table.

The global movements aim to galvanize support around several high-level opportunities for NTDs in 2020, particularly around the launch of the WHO 2021-2030 road map for NTDs at the world’s first Global Summit on Malaria and NTDs in Kigali, Rwanda, on 25 June 2020, alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. To sustain gains and accelerate progress on NTDs in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the road map will offer a fundamental shift to focus on countries, communities and people at the centre.

“Our new 2021-2030 roadmap calls for a multi-faceted approach that focuses on the engagement, involvement and contribution of everyone for better cross-sectoral action,” said Dr Mwelecele Ntuli Malecela, Director, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “I welcome the ‘Youth Combatting NTDs’ initiative and look forward to working with the younger generation towards a world free of these diseases of poverty”
NTDs are a group of 20 debilitating infectious diseases that disable, disfigure and sometimes kill. Thriving in areas where access to healthcare, adequate sanitation and clean water is limited, NTDs keep already disadvantaged children out of school and adults out of work, subsequently trapping communities in endless cycles of poverty and costing countries billions of dollars every year in productivity gains.

“This is the decade to put an end to diseases of poverty and double down on the fight against NTDs,” said Mrs Thoko Elphick-Pooley, Director of Uniting to Combat NTDs. “With the launch of End the Neglect, we are starting a global movement to educate and inspire people to take action on these preventable and treatable diseases. We are also thrilled to announce our campaign alongside Youth Combating NTDs, a vital initiative putting young people at the front and center of the fight against these diseases.”

Through 2020, End the Neglect will call on global audiences to learn more about NTDs and the people they impact and to amplify voices on social media, in turn empowering others to take action. The campaign will also encourage participants to sign a petition urging world leaders to mobilise US$1.5 billion towards the total cost of delivering the WHO 2021-2030 road map for NTDs.

“We are excited that Future Africa Forum got the opportunity to partner with Uniting to Combat NTDs in launching this youth movement,” said Gerald Chirinda, Founder of the Future Africa Forum. “Given that NTDs affect over 1 billion young people globally, it is only right that as young people, we are actively involved in fighting NTDs, as we believe there is nothing for the youth without the youth. This movement gives us the opportunity to begin mainstreaming the participation of youth in the NTD community.”

Youth Combating NTDs is designed to encourage the participation of young people in the fight to beat NTDs. The initiative will equip and strengthen young advocates and leaders with the necessary resources to amplify their voices and effectively shape policies to end NTDs in their communities. As the digital space is key for mobilizing Millennials and Generation Z, the group plans to leverage social media to raise awareness of NTDs, and engage and activate the global youth community.


Connecting The Dots To Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), a group of poverty-related infectious diseases, affect 1 out of 2 people in Africa, and 1.5 billion people globally. These diseases are highly debilitating, can cause life-long disability and cost billions of dollars in developing countries. Many people have never heard of these diseases despite their human and economic costs.

Another astonishing part – the infection routes are preventable$17 billion worth of medicines have been committed by the pharmaceutical industry, between 2012 and 2020, and key interventions such as mass drug administration (MDA) are known to be effective. And yet, these diseases prevail among top causes of medical consultations and school absenteeism in affected countries. How can we connect the dots to see the end of NTDs in our lifetime?

The most affected populations live in poverty and lack adequate water sources and sanitation, putting them in close contact with infectious vectors. A report launched recently by the END Fund shows that the numbers are compelling. Over 1.5 billion people require treatment for intestinal worms, nearly 200 million suffer from river blindness and 856 million people are affected by lymphatic filariasis – one of the most painful and stigmatized diseases in the world.

The numbers are also undeniable as there are huge returns on investment. It costs less than $0.50 per year to treat someone with NTD medicines, and every dollar invested in NTD control and elimination results in $27 to $42 of economic benefit. Even more compelling, if the WHO’s 2020 goals for NTDs are met, Africa could save $52 billion by 2030 if the most prevalent NTDs are eliminated.

Countries like Rwanda have made impressive strides in reducing the prevalence and incidence of NTDs. These countries have shown what is possible with strong partnerships and high-impact initiatives. To maintain the progress toward elimination, however, requires a focus on developing key partnerships and strategies. Beyond maintaining critical interventions like MDA and education around water, proper sanitation and hygiene, below are 5 key strategies to keep in mind:

  1. Sustainable solutions come from communities : affected populations understand constraints that impede prevention and control, and their active participation should be a priority for partners looking to close the gap in eliminating NTDs. Although this is not a new concept, efforts to empower these communities must be front and center and any sustainable strategy should align with their unique perspective. This implies developing strategies from within, with community members as implementers and not just recipients of programs. It is also important to include strategies for those already affected by lifelong disability due to NTDs leading to severe limitations to a productive livelihood and stigmatization.
  2. Identify positive deviance in behavior change : NTDs are closely linked to hygienic practices and can be avoided through hand-washing, wearing proper footwear, and using latrines. These positive practices are often known across communities, but their adoption is not always straightforward. An example is that building latrines does not guarantee that the community will use them. In some instances, open defecation – a major infection route for NTDs – has continued even after latrines are introduced in the community. In this context, it is crucial to identify positive deviance – households or communities that have been able to eliminate NTDs despite having similar challenges – and facilitate cross-learning.
  3. Economic development as a powerful incentive: fighting NTDs is a road to economic development, and the latter can be a driver for the fight against NTDs. A part of promoting behavior change could be linked with social and economic incentives. For instance, if a community can significantly increase and sustain the number of people with access to latrines, adequate water sources and hygienic practices, could that be translated into advantages towards getting out of poverty? Here, one could even posit that an impact bond model could be developed with an incentive mechanism linking investment in health to actual economic gains. It could start at  the village level with socially-minded investors ready to scale up these incentives while maintaining focus on results – avoiding re-infections and achieving elimination of NTDs.
  4. Women as strategic partnersNTDs disproportionately affect girls and women which makes them key beneficiaries. However, women are also strategic partners in the front-line, to encourage compliance in treatment, advocate at the household-level to promote social mobilization efforts to fight NTDs. These efforts can also be aligned with other related programs such as early childhood development (ECD) activities to impact children – a group highly vulnerable to NTDs – from an early age.
  5. Community health workers (CHW) as linkage: CHW are involved in providing treatment, carrying out surveillance and in health promotion. Their involvement facilitates complementarity with various other interventions and avoids any perceived silos. This is particularly important since there is co-endemicity among diseases within the same individual or target groups. Many countries have well established networks of CHWs that promote control and treatment of various diseases at  the community level. In Rwanda, 3 CHWs are embedded in each village to follow assigned households daily, and it has undoubtedly contributed to overall increase in health outcomes. Building the knowledge and capacity of community health workers to tackle NTDs leads to a more sustainable delivery channel, rather than a vertical approach.

Currently, major players in the fight against NTDs such as Ministries of Health, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are considering ways to further tackle remaining challenges.

A recent END Fund roundtable provided a platform to start exploring different ways to approach the issues. Sessions that bring together government institutions, private sector, philanthropy, academia and NGOs embedded in the community are great first steps.

The tools to eliminate NTDs are in place, but with the end targets in mind, are we connecting the dots?