On Thursday 28 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally launched a new ten-year plan that aims to end the suffering of more than one billion people from neglected tropical diseases.
The moderated event on Zoom brought an audience of 2623 at its peak, with a further 1230 views on YouTube. It included keynotes, panel discussion, written and video recorded messages, voices from the field, video clips, performance by artists and messages from several personalities.
The event opened with a statement from Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, read by Dr Ren Minghui, WHO Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases. This followed the keynote address from the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Messages of support came from various dignitaries:
- His Excellency Mr Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda
- His Excellency Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of Togo (message read by Her Excellency Ms Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé, Prime Minister of Togo)
- Her Excellency Dr Isatou Touray, Vice-President of The Gambia
- His Excellency Mr Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium
- Her Excellency Ms Sika Bella Kaboré, First Lady of Burkina Faso (message read by the Honourable Charlemagne Ouédraogo, Minister of Health of Burkina Faso)
- The Honourable Zahid Maleque, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh
- The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister for International Development, Canada
- The Honourable Eteni Longondo, Minister of Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- The Honourable Dr António Deuna, Minister of Public Health, Guinea-Bissau
- The Honourable Hridayesh Tripathi, Minister of Health and Population, Nepal
- The Honourable Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, Minister of Health, Nigeria
- The Honourable Fawziya Abikar Nur, Minister of Health, Somalia
- The Honourable Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Care Services, Sri Lanka
- The Honourable Osama Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Federal Minister of Health, Sudan
- Dr Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
- Ms Winifred “Winnie” Byanyima, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
- Dr Monique Eloit, Director-General, World Organisation for Animal Health
Other video messages of support came from permanent missions of countries to the United Nations Office and other Organizations in Geneva and officials of philanthropic organizations, donor agencies and groups supporting NTD programmes.
The two-hour event comprised ‘voices from the field’ where patients and health care workers briefly shared their stories, video clips about progress achieved under WHO’s first road map from 2012-2020, comments by former NTD Directors as well as three panel discussion on:
- Achievements from 2012-2020
- How has partnership catalyzed success
- Ending the neglect: the new NTD road map
Singers were also part of the programme and included Damian Soul, a Tanzanian musician, songwriter, guitarist, singer, producer and composer; Mark Joshua Ouma (better known as Teardrops) – a poet and spoken word artist from Nairobi, Kenya; and Mimi Mars, a Tanzanian singer – who performed brilliantly.
During the launch, young people expressed their determination to contribute to free future generations from the debilitating effects these diseases cause.
Formal launch of the road map
`Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030´ - was formally launched during the event. Its goals and targets are captured in this short message from WHO’s Director-General and the Director of the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The road map is designed to address critical gaps across multiple diseases by integrating and mainstreaming approaches and actions within national health systems, and across sectors. It also provides opportunities to evaluate, assess and adjust programmatic
actions as and when needed over the next decade, by setting clear targets and milestones. Another distinct feature is to drive greater ownership by national and local governments, including communities. The overarching 2030 global targets are:
- reduce by 90% the number of people requiring treatment for NTDs
- at least 100 countries to have eliminated at least one NTD
- eradicate two diseases (dracunculiasis and yaws)
- reduce by 75% the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to NTD
Additionally, the road map will track 10 cross-cutting targets and disease specific targets that include a reduction by more than 75% in the number of deaths from vector-borne NTDs and promote full access to basic water supply, sanitation and hygiene
in areas endemic for NTDs.
Over the past decade, substantial gains have been made, resulting in 600 million fewer people at risk of NTDs than a decade ago and with 42 countries eliminating at least one NTD, including some defeating multiple NTDs.
Furthermore, global programmes treated more than 1 billion people a year for 5 consecutive years between 2015 – 2019.