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Planning for elimination within the USAID NTD portfolio
Most people aren’t very fond of transitions; indeed, some even avoid them. But managers of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) programs aren’t like most people. Not only do they welcome program transitions, they actually seek them out. Why? Because in the world of NTD control and elimination, transitions are powerful signs of program success. Successful national
A Review of Burkina Faso’s NTD Program: Progress, Challenges and Next Steps
In the past few years, Burkina Faso’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Program (NTDP) has made some pretty impressive inroads against several neglected tropical diseases (NTD) that have plagued the country for decades. Among its achievements are reaching World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds for stopping mass treatments (a.k.a. mass drug administration or MDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF),
Finance strategy: A must for NTD program sustainability
Sustainable health programming depends on comprehensive planning. However, many health strategies omit a crucial component: a finance strategy that outlines a plan for mobilizing and managing financial resources to help meet program objectives. Without resources, there is no program! USAID’s END in Africa program works with five West African countries–Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone
Train, build trust before treating: Lessons from Ghana’s 2014 schistosomiasis MDA
Getting a school-aged child to take medicine is no easy task, even if he knows it will keep him from getting sick. Now, imagine trying to get millions of children to do the same thing and you may begin to understand the challenge that Ghana’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Program (NTDP) faces every time the country
WHO/TDR calls for nominations for solutions to NTDs in Africa
The World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation at the University of Cape Town and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University are searching for innovative healthcare delivery solutions that have improved the lives of those affected by neglected tropical diseases
Niger revises strategies for schistosomiasis treatment and assessment
The West African country of Niger has been struggling for many years to control the spread of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by contact with tiny parasitic worms called schistosomes, which live in fresh water lakes and rivers. Even after more than seven years of almost nationwide mass treatments to prevent or cure the
A challenge like no other: How Sierra Leone’s NTD Program is weathering the Ebola epidemic
It’s been very tough going for Sierra Leone’s NTD Program in the wake of the devastating Ebola crisis in that country. END in Africa recently asked Mustapha Sonnie and Stephanie Palmer, with END in Africa sub-grantee Helen Keller International, to tell us how the Ebola crisis has affected Sierra Leone’s progress toward NTD control and
Diversification is good for business…and for NTD Programs
The private sector has money and a willingness to invest in public health. National NTD programs need funding to protect millions of the world’s poorest from devastating diseases. So, how can NTD program managers gain access to the world of private investment so they can start putting these funds to good use? END in Africa
With Progress Comes Challenges: As Countries Approach Lymphatic Filariasis and Trachoma Elimination, NTD Programs Look for Ways to Verify, Hang onto Success
After years of grassroots outreach and nationwide travel to provide preventive medicines to millions of citizens, even those living in the most remote communities, END in Africa countries have good reason to celebrate the progress achieved in their fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), especially lymphatic filariasis (LF) and trachoma. In the three trachoma-endemic END
Collaborating for Results in Ghana: Public-Private Partnerships and NTDs
Each year, members of Ghana’s Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) gather at the SPMDP’s annual meeting to discuss new trends in healthcare and issues of common interest. After consistent advocacy by Ghana’s Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Programme, this year the SPMDP chose to focus its 36th annual meeting on building its members’
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Photo Credit: Yaobi Zhang, Helen Keller International
