Ministers gather in Botswana to discuss unlocking financing for neglected tropical diseases
The 73rd WHO Regional Committee for Africa was an opportunity to bring leaders from across the African continent together to discuss key national health priorities. A side event shone a light on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) calling for countries to prioritise NTDs, helping unlock new methods of financing.
It was a packed official agenda for this year’s WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Gaborone, Botswana. However, that didn’t stop ministers and officials packing into a room for a side event focused on unlocking financing for neglected tropical diseases in Africa.
On 29 August 2023, the Ministers of Health of Comoros, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Sudan, and Zambia, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases , hosted a special dinner to identify opportunities for sustainable financing for NTDs.
The event was opened by Dr Loub Yakout Za?dou Minister, of Health, Solidarity, Social Protection and Gender Promotion of the Union of the Comoros, a co-organiser of the occasion. The Honourable Minister helped to outline why this event was pertinent to everyone in the room and the need to galvanise action.
A keynote from Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, followed, continuing to set the scene. She reminded everyone present that eliminating NTDs remains one of the best returns on investment available, a “best buy for funding”.
Ministers of Health were given voting gadgets and asked questions to understand the current status of domestic investment to NTDs by countries. Countries including Zambia, Malawi, and South Sudan took the floor to speak about their domestic financing for NTDs.
Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall Director, Global Programme for Neglected Tropical Diseases, WHO, followed sharing his passion and stressing the need to reorient our focus on NTDs, “We should prioritise NTDs, not only in the health sector but across sectors.”
The event explored four key methods of international financing. Speakers were asked to share an overview of the institution, the opportunity for NTDs within the financing mechanism, and one recommendation to a Minister of Health to unlock the opportunity.
Aggrey Aluso Director of the Africa Region at Pandemic Action Network outlined the opportunity to tap into financing for pandemic preparedness. He said: “Pandemics and NTDs are very closely related because of them being issues that [present] very strong equality challenges."
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Caty Fall Sow Head of Africa and Middle East at The Global Fund presented opportunities to integrate NTDs into Global Fund applications, “Through TB and malaria interventions and using health system strengthening as well as people-centred lenses, there are many opportunities to integrate NTDs."
Dr Amir Hagos, Country Operations Lead at GFF presented opportunities with the Global Financing Facility. He said: “I call on all the Ministers to make strong political commitments to prioritise NTDs."
Jill Dauchy CEO of the Potomac Group LLC explained how debt swaps can be harnessed for health, including NTDs, “ There are a lot of resources and papers being written particularly in the climate nature space, but the [debt swap] mechanism can be applied to health."
Dr Fall provided a special announcement on the Reaching the Last Mile Forum which will take place at COP28, later this year. This major event (hosted by Reaching the Last Mile, an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ) will feature a dedicated moment to celebrate the remarkable progress made against NTDs and announce new commitments towards disease elimination goals.
As Thoko Elphick-Pooley , Executive Director of Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases said in her closing remarks, when ministers next meet in this capacity, we hope there will be a different conversation. One which shows exactly how countries have leveraged these financing opportunities for NTDs.
With thanks to WHO AFRO, Comoros, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Sudan, and Zambia, all our esteemed speakers Dr Loub Yakout Za?dou, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Dr Socé Fall, Aggrey Aluso, Caty Sow Fall, Dr Amir Hagos, and Jill Dauchy, and our excellent moderator of the event, journalist and broadcaster, Henry Bonsu .
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We are #100percentCommitted to #BeatNTDs
Broadcaster & Conference Host, Modern Linguist (German & French)
1 年What a wonderful night of collective purpose. The message is getting through to governments and funders. Let these diseases be neglected no more!