Current Efforts

USAID-funded NTD Control Program

The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) and Internatioal Trachoma Initiative (ITI) have been awarded a grant under USAID-funded NTD Control Program to reduce the collective burden of NTDs. The NTD program takes an integrated approach to treating five neglected tropical diseases: lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and trachoma. ITI is currently managing integrated treatment programs in Ghana and Mali.

SCI is working with its partners in Burkina Faso, Niger and Uganda to continue existing treatment programs and have now expanded their work into new areas to integrate the existing treatment programs in each country.

In Niger, the mass treatment took place in 3 regions, targeting over six million people during the six-week campaign. Niger is the first country (in the world) to conduct mass integrated treatment for NTDs. This is also the first time residents in Niger are treated for LF.

The government of Burkina Faso will begin efforts to integrate treatment of NTDs in July, this will include the country's first treatments for trachoma.

In Uganda, treatments for trachoma, LF and schistosomiasis have been expanded to districts that have never received treatment to date. The program is coordinated with the Ministry of Health's Child Health Days, which take place in April and October. The Ministry hopes to provide deworming treatments to over 11 million children.

World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Assembly (WHA): Nationwide Deworming
Cambodia, Laos and Burkina Faso have met the WHA resolution 54.19 for regular peridoic deworming (desparasitacion) of 75%to 100% of at-risk school-age children by the year 2010. The WHA resolution has lead the way in global helminth control and several new national programmes and international initiatives.

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Address to Sixtieth World Health Assembly, May 15, 2007

First WHOs Neglected Tropical Diseases Global Partners Meeting

On April 19-20, 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) and its key partners met as a part of the First WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Global Partners Meeting held in Geneva. The summit was called to initiate discussion to develop a strategic plan of action against the NTDs that plague over a billion of the world's poorest people. 

The meeting brought together members of the WHO, the President of Burkina Faso, the Vice-president of Tanzania, numerous health ministers and the world's experts in NTD research and advocacy.  These leaders discussed the enhancement of public-private partnerships, improved interaction on specific initiatives and increased global advocacy for NTDs.

Director of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr. Peter Hotez, addressed the meeting , announcing the recent $8.9 million grant from Geneva Global, Inc dedicated to the delivery of NTD drugs in Rwanda and Burundi through SCI and the Earth Institute.  He also revealed Alyssa Milano, television and movie star, as the new ambassador for the Global Network through her financial and personal commitment to advocacy for NTDs.   Finally, Hotez addressed the criticality and urgency of NTD control.  He described the control of NTDs as the "most important new weapon in our global fight for sustainable poverty reduction…and if nurtured appropriately it will gain momentum in an uprecedented and effective manner."