Ghana Health Service Director General Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare. Photo: FHI 360

The new Control and Elimination Program for Neglected Tropical Diseases Element One (CEP-NTD 1) Project seeks to support eleven countries to control or eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) targeted using preventive chemotherapy through proven, cost-effective public health interventions.

NTDs affect children and women disproportionately, causing severe pain and disfigurement and perpetuating poverty. USAID support for medicines, diagnostic testing, disease mapping and country health capacity building through projects like CEP-NTD 1 is helping to control and eliminate NTDs.

Juno Lawrence Jaffer, USAID NTD Division Chief, at new USAID CEP-NTD 1 project launch event. Photo: FHI 360

Ghana Health Service Director General Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare kicked off the meeting, followed by an address from USAID West Africa Regional Director Daniel Moore.

USAID is a global leader in the elimination and control of seven of the most prevalent NTDs, including trachoma. USAID Neglected Tropical Diseases Division Chief Juno Lawrence Jaffer said, “Since beginning its NTD program in 2006, USAID has supported the administration of over 2.3 billion treatments to 1.1 billion people in 25 countries.”

Dr. Meité Aboulaye, Cote d’Ivoire NTD Program Director; Dr. Virginie Ettiegne-Traore, CEP-NTD Program Manager, Cote d’Ivoire; Dr. Koizan Kadjo Gamael, Cote d’Ivoire MOH NTD Focal Point (l to r). Photo: FHI 360

Today, over 253 million people no longer need medicine for elephantiasis, and with support from FHI 360-managed END in Africa project, Togo validated elephantiasis elimination in 2017 and Ghana validated trachoma elimination nationwide earlier this year.

Over the past 12 years, pharmaceutical companies have given more than $19 billion worth of life-changing drugs, free of charge, to defeat trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). USAID, FHI 360 and END in Africa implementing countries are grateful for the generous support from our private sector partners. Every $1 invested by USAID in NTDs leverages $26 in pharmaceutical donations.

Bolivar Pou, Senior Program Director CEP-NTD 1, FHI 360 (l) and Emily Wainwright, Senior Operations Advisor, NTD Program, USAID, present the new CEP-NTD Element 1 program. Photo: FHI 360

The USAID NTD Program’s Emily Wainwright congratulated the END in Africa implementing countries’ national NTD programs for achievements including scaling up integrated mass NTD treatments nationwide, progress toward the WHO’s 2020 Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening their capacity. Integrating national NTD programs into broader national health systems and strengthening linkages with other national health initiatives, programs and priorities will help countries sustain these gains, she said.

Speaking about the management approach of the new program, FHI 360 Senior Program Director Bolivar Pou pledged to work with the Health Ministries in the 11 implementing countries to integrate NTDs into their policies, budgets and activity coordination. CEP-NTD 1 will build on the successes of the END in Africa project in its thinking, direction and focus. Pou said, “the new program structure reflects the shift from primarily focusing on scaling up MDAs, to creating a stronger policy environment for mainstreaming of NTDs within the health sector.”

NTD experts discuss implementation of new USAID CEP-NTD program in Accra, Ghana at the project launch meeting. Photo: FHI 360

In addition to project lead FHI 360, other CEP-NTD Element 1 partners include Deloitte, Helen Keller International, Health & Development International, AIM Initiative, Americares, and World Vision.

Watch this page for more meeting highlights.

For more information contact: endinafrica@fhi360.org or 1 (202) 884-8000