The meeting of partners of the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Program of the World Health Organization ends with a stimulating call to action worldwide

Delegates and representatives left the meeting of partners of the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Program with a rousing call to action from its Director Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall.

As the multinational meeting, attended by around 300 key partners, ended in Geneva on Tuesday 13 June, Dr Fall urged participants to embrace the message that, “if we don’t challenge ourselves, we cannot develop and improve”.

In a wide-ranging event held to review progress against the WHO Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030 and create a better understanding of global NTD operations from disease-specific and cross-sectoral perspectives, partners, donors, technical partners, institutions and country representatives reinforced their commitment to achieve the ambitious goal: a world free of neglected tropical diseases by 2030.

The primary theme of the meeting was focused on the vision of “One community delivering one global NTD program”.

Reflecting on the three key strategic shifts advocated in the roadmap – greater country ownership, measuring outcomes rather than processes, and commitment to cross-sector activities and collaboration for greater efficiency – the discussions were pragmatic, clear and imbued with the need for equity and justice in health to address NTDs.

Only such an approach, the meeting heard, can bring about the change that some of the world’s poorest communities need to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

At the first such global meeting since the launch of the roadmap in January 2021, delegates also heard from WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Welcoming participants at the start of the two-day symposium, Dr Tedros said: “This gathering illustrates what WHO is all about – partners coming together to use their collective strength to address global health challenges that none of us could solve alone.

“A multifaceted challenge like neglected tropical diseases requires a multifaceted approach, and that’s what we’re bringing together.”

Delegates and participants spent the next two days identifying the main gaps and challenges in achieving high-level goals and local challenges on the ground. These challenges on the ground include ensuring that people directly affected by NTDs and those directly responsible for implementing NTD interventions are invited and acknowledged, particularly in terms of communication and community engagement. The meeting also highlighted the importance of developing communities of practice to build the capacity and confidence of the global NTD workforce.

In further discussions, the delegates agreed on the principles and practical steps for the implementation of activities according to the stated goals and jointly planned the Global Action Plan for 2025-2030.

Key actions and decisions arising from the meeting included recommendations to strengthen and operationalize national coordination platforms to ensure coordination for joint planning and for monitoring and evaluation and to ensure more effective supply chain management within national systems.

The partners’ meeting also took place at the end of a major functional review process within WHO’s Department for Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Over the past four months, WHO has listened to input and testimony from all its partners and stakeholders, to ensure that it embodies the values ​​of accountability, transparency and fairness that it advocates and demands.

These values ​​also include ensuring that NTDs are repositioned in the global health architecture. Meeting participants welcomed the emphasis on the key roles the NTD community can and must play in contributing to broader challenges such as universal health coverage, one health and the growing threat of global climate change.

Delegates who attended in person were also able to enjoy an exhibition on neglected tropical diseases at WHO headquarters. A set of metal panels was commissioned to illustrate the 20 conditions that make up the NTD grouping, and these are accompanied by photographs and information illustrating the actions taken over many decades to tackle them.