Neglected Tropical Diseases NGO Network

Neglected Tropical Diseases NGO Network
Name	Neglected Tropical Diseases NGO Network
Abbreviation	NTD NGONet
Formation	2007
Type	Non-governmental network
Headquarters	London
Region served	Global
Leader title	Chair

Neglected Tropical Diseases NGO Network is a global coalition of humanitarian non-profit organizations, charities, and advocacy civil society actors focused on controlling, eliminating, and eradicating neglected tropical diseases. The network engages with technical agencies such as the World Health Organization, policy bodies such as the World Health Assembly, research institutions including the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and implementation partners operating in endemic settings like Nigeria, India, Ethiopia, and Brazil. It aligns programmatic work with global initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Health Security Agenda, the Access to Medicine Index, and multilateral funding mechanisms such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Overview

The network brings together member organizations from diverse regions—African Union partners such as African Development Bank, Asian stakeholders including Ministry of Health (India), Latin American agencies such as PAHO, and international NGOs like Christian Blind Mission, Sight Savers International, Helen Keller International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Save the Children. It provides a platform for coordination among pharmaceutical donors such as Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, and philanthropic funders like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, enabling alignment with technical guidance from WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases and normative frameworks set at the World Health Assembly.

History and Development

Originating from advocacy meetings linked to the WHO Roadmap on Neglected Tropical Diseases (2012–2020), the network formalized coordination following dialogues involving UNITAID, the Clinton Foundation, and academic partners such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early development was influenced by elimination successes showcased in campaigns against onchocerciasis in Latin America and lymphatic filariasis initiatives coordinated with Tropical Disease Research (WHO/TDR). Milestones include contributions to the revision of the WHO NTD Roadmap (2021–2030) and participation in major conferences like the Prince Mahidol Award Conference and the World Health Summit.

Structure and Governance

Governance comprises a steering committee with representatives drawn from large international NGOs—OXFAM, CARE International, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies—and regional members such as African Union Commission affiliates and national NGOs from Kenya, Bangladesh, and Peru. Secretariat functions operate in coordination with partners including the Tropical Disease Research (WHO/TDR), the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases, and academic nodes at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp. The network’s governance adheres to accountability norms discussed at forums such as the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.

Programs and Activities

Programmatic activities span mass drug administration campaigns informed by pharmaceutical donations from Merck Sharp & Dohme and Eisai Co., Ltd., morbidity management and disability prevention aligned with guidance from WHO, community-directed treatment models developed with Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis, and vector control strategies linked to work by Pan American Health Organization and African Development Bank. The network supports operational research collaborations with London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, training initiatives with Qatar Foundation partners, and advocacy campaigns showcased at UN General Assembly side events and World Health Assembly dialogues.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations include technical linkages with WHO, funding partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID, and program support from corporate donors such as GSK and Pfizer. It engages academic collaborators including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Makerere University for operational research, and coordinates with global coalitions such as the Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. Cross-sector alliances extend to organizations like UNICEF, UNDP, and regional bodies including the West African Health Organization.

Impact and Achievements

Contributions include accelerating elimination targets in countries recognized by WHO verification, supporting national programs that achieved validation for eliminating trachoma in countries like Morocco and Ghana, and aiding scale-up of mass drug administration that contributed to reductions in prevalence of diseases studied in reports by Global Burden of Disease Study collaborators at Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The network has influenced policy through submissions to the WHO NTD Roadmap (2021–2030) consultation, presentations at the World Health Summit, and engagement with national ministries such as Ministry of Health (Ethiopia) to bolster surveillance systems spotlighted in Lancet Global Health analyses.

Funding and Resources

Funding channels include pooled donor arrangements with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, grants administered via USAID, in-kind pharmaceutical donations from Merck, GSK, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and operational support from charitable organizations such as Comic Relief and Wellcome Trust. Resource mobilization activities coordinate with mechanisms like the Global Fund for related disease programs, fundraising campaigns tied to events such as the World Health Assembly, and technical resource development in partnership with WHO Collaborating Centres.

Category:Global health organizations Category:Tropical diseases