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Published: 3 June 2023

African Union Member States from Eastern and Central Africa have successfully concluded a three-day convening, held from 31 May to 2 June, focusing on domestic resource mobilisation and the strengthening of programmes to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). This regional meeting brought together national-level NTDs programming experts from the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and key partner institutions dedicated to the ongoing battle against NTDs in Africa. The discussions emphasised the urgent need for integrated strategies and collaborative efforts to control and eliminate NTDs, contributing to global eradication endeavours.

NTDs are endemic in 49 AU member states and affect more than 600 million people, accounting for about 42% of the global burden of NTDs. Although both treatable and preventable, NTDs cause more than 500,000 deaths per year. If left untreated, NTDs can lead to blindness, disfigurement, chronic pain, cognitive impairment, and other long-term disabilities. The irreversible damage caused by NTDs creates barriers to education, employment, and economic growth as well as stigmatisation which leads to exclusion from society. Reducing the burden of mortality and morbidity caused by NTDs is an integral and necessary pathway to improving the health of Africa’s most vulnerable populations.

Significant progress has been made in the fight against NTDs over the past few decades. The 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Report on NTDs indicates a 25% decline in the number of people requiring NTD interventions. In Africa, at least 20 countries have successfully eliminated one NTD as a public health problem. This positive trajectory is reinforced by substantial political commitment to NTDs elimination in the African region. The African Union’s development blueprint, Agenda 2063: « The Africa We Want, » envisions a future where all African citizens enjoy good health, free from all diseases, including NTDs. Additionally, the Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, held in June 2023 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), witnessed the launch of the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases. This declaration continues to garner support from various countries and multisectoral actors, demonstrating the growing endorsement of enhanced and sustainable financing for NTDs. Furthermore, in July 2022, the African Union Commission adopted the Continental Framework and Africa Common Position on NTDs, serving as a unifying reference point for AU Member States in the fight against these diseases, while advocating for increased domestic financing for NTDs.

While these achievements are significant, much more can be realised through strengthened integration of strategies and efforts against NTDs at the continental level. « Our collective mandate moving forward is to increase investment, take decisive action, and foster collaboration to successfully implement the recommendations of the Continental Framework and African Common Position on NTDs. We are committed to collaborating with our partners to advance the elimination of NTDs in Africa, » emphasised Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the African Union Commission’s Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development.

The meeting resulted in strong resolutions, with a particular emphasis on deepening cross-border collaboration, promoting national ownership and leadership of programmes, and strengthening multi-sectoral cooperation. In this regard, Dr. Elisabeth Mukamba of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) noted that, “this meeting has paved the way for a series of actions focused on improving the mobilisation of local resources, enhancing coordination in the fight against NTDs, and integrating interventions to provide appropriate care to the sub-region’s populations, with the ultimate goal of significantly reducing the burden of morbidity and mortality associated with NTDs”.

Since 2017, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) has worked to support African Union Member States in the control and elimination of NTDs through the establishment of NTDs scorecards for accountability and action. To date, 17 countries have adopted these scorecards, yielding significant outcomes such as the generation of reliable NTDs data in countries like Congo and Senegal, which has facilitated the mobilisation of national administrations to allocate funds toward national NTDs programmes. ALMA has also made substantial progress in resource mobilisation for NTDs, particularly following the call from ALMA Chair H.E President Umaro Sissoco Embaló for all African Union Member States to establish integrated End Malaria and NTDs Councils, aimed at accelerating progress against these diseases. This has led to the establishment of one such council, with the Republic of Guinea Bissau setting the pace for the rest of the continent.