HOVE, UK, Aug 14 (IPS) – The outgoing chief executive of Uniting to Combat NTDs reflects on a decade at the helm of a global advocacy organisation committed to ending neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Over the past decade, I have been privileged to witness incredible progress in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – a journey marked by unwavering commitment, resilience and hope.
This group of twenty-one diseases affects 1.65 billion people worldwide and can be debilitating, disfiguring, and fatal. But despite significant global obstacles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions due to conflict in Russia and Ukraine, and extreme weather events, our collective efforts to combat NTDs have transformed the lives of millions.
As I step down as Executive Director of Uniting to Combat NTDs, I am filled with a deep sense of pride and reflection. From the inclusion of NTDs in the health-related Sustainable Development Goals to the endorsement by Heads of State of the Continental Framework on NTDs and the Common Africa Position, important global and regional frameworks now exist to guide collective action and efforts.
From world leaders endorsing the historic Kigali Declaration on NTDs at the 26th CHOGM Summit in 2022 to the Reaching the Last Mile Forum held at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Summit in 2023, we have seen countries stand shoulder to shoulder with donors, businesses, organizations and civil society to make commitments to end NTDs.
These concrete actions have paved the way for a future where NTDs no longer disrupt the lives of vulnerable communities around the world.
The impact we have seen is real and substantial. Fifty-one countries have now eliminated at least one NTD.
For example, sleeping sickness has been eliminated as a public health problem in seven countries, with Chad becoming the latest to achieve this milestone this year. Lymphatic filariasis has been eliminated in 19 countries, with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic becoming the latest to eliminate the disease as a public health threat by 2023. And the progress has had a domino effect, with some countries eliminating multiple NTDs.
In 2022, Togo became the first country in the world to eliminate four NTDs (guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and sleeping sickness), while Benin and Ghana have each eliminated three NTDs, leading to recognition at an ECOWAS summit of heads of state in 2013.
Meanwhile, 843 million people received treatment for an NTD in the year 2022 alone, made possible by one of the most successful public-private partnerships in the history of global health, with more than 17 billion treatments for NTDs donated by the pharmaceutical industry between 2012 and 2023.
These successes are based on years of shared experience in the prevention, control and elimination of NTD.
The human impact of this work is the single most important measure of our success. When I think back on this journey, I think of the faces of countless individuals whose lives have been touched by this work.
The children who can now go to school, the families who can now work and thrive, the communities no longer shackled by preventable diseases. These stories of transformation are the heartbeat of our mission and the fuel that has driven us forward.
But as we celebrate these incredible milestones, we must also take stock of the critical steps needed to ensure that this progress continues. We are at a pivotal moment, where the gains we have made must be consolidated and expanded.
To do this, NTD programs urgently need sustainable, long-term financing and strengthened political commitment. One critical way to meet this need is to prioritize disease elimination as a flagship initiative for the World Bank’s 21st Replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA21), which provides grants and financing to the world’s poorest countries.
This includes establishing a dedicated funding stream under IDA21’s Health Track. This would ensure sustained progress against these diseases and help the World Bank achieve its mandate to alleviate poverty, boost economic growth and improve living conditions for millions of people on a livable planet.
With only 15% of the Sustainable Development Goals on track, the urgency to demonstrate impact at scale has never been greater.
Supporting countries on their path to eliminating NTDs by 2030 and helping an additional 49 countries achieve elimination targets will be a smart investment for IDA21, delivering tangible and far-reaching impact. This is not just a health imperative; it is a moral and economic one.
Our journey is far from over. The path ahead requires sustained political will, continued mobilization of resources, and unwavering commitment.
We have the knowledge, the tools, and the momentum. Now is the time to harness them and press on with renewed vigor. Let’s say that decades later, we have not faltered in our fight. Let’s say that we have left the world a healthier place, free from the scourge of neglected tropical diseases.
Thoko Elphick-Pooley is the outgoing director of Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases.
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
