Ending neglected tropical diseases — led by the countries that know them best – Devex

Report on National Efforts to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary: The Intersection of NTDs and Global Development

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) represent a significant barrier to global development, affecting over one billion people, primarily in the world’s most impoverished communities. These preventable and treatable conditions, such as leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis, directly undermine progress towards several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fight against NTDs is therefore integral to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): NTDs trap communities in cycles of poverty by preventing adults from earning a consistent living.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The prevalence of NTDs represents a major public health challenge, directly contradicting the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all. Target 3.3 specifically calls for an end to the epidemics of NTDs.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): These diseases are a primary cause of school absenteeism, denying children access to education.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): NTDs disproportionately affect marginalized populations, exacerbating social and economic inequalities.

Geographical Burden and its Impact on Sustainable Development

The African continent, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, bears a disproportionate share of the global NTD burden, with hundreds of millions affected. This concentration severely impedes regional progress towards the SDGs. The persistence of NTDs in these areas creates a continuous cycle of developmental challenges, making the attainment of global targets for poverty, health, and education significantly more difficult.

Country-Led Strategies for NTD Elimination: A Pathway to Achieving SDG 3

In response, governments in endemic countries are demonstrating significant leadership and commitment to eliminating NTDs. By taking ownership of the problem, these nations are implementing sustainable, locally-led solutions that align with the principles of the SDGs. These efforts prove that progress is possible when strategies are nationally supported and community-focused.

1. Integrated National Strategies: Countries are designing and implementing comprehensive health strategies that integrate NTD control into broader public health frameworks.
2. Domestic Resource Investment: A crucial step towards sustainability involves the allocation of domestic financial resources, reducing reliance on external aid and fostering national ownership.
3. Community Health System Strengthening: Nations are building robust health systems from the ground up, empowering frontline community health workers to deliver treatments and conduct surveillance, a cornerstone of achieving universal health coverage as outlined in SDG 3.

The Role of Partnerships in Accelerating Progress (SDG 17)

Success in combating NTDs is underpinned by effective multi-stakeholder collaboration, a core principle of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The progress observed is a direct result of synergistic efforts between various actors working towards a common objective.

• National Governments
• Frontline Community Health Workers
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Private Sector Partners

Conclusion: Sustainable Progress Through Local Ownership

The message from leaders in affected nations is that while these diseases may be termed “neglected” on a global scale, they are a priority for the countries and communities they impact. The ongoing efforts demonstrate that sustainable, country-led solutions are the most effective path toward the elimination of NTDs. This national ownership and multi-stakeholder cooperation are not only achieving public health victories but are also making a direct and measurable contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially the fulfillment of SDG 3.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
2. SDG 1: No Poverty
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.

  The article is centered on the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). It explicitly mentions the goal of “NTDs elimination” and discusses the progress countries are making. The text states that NTDs “affect over 1 billion people worldwide” and names specific diseases like “human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis,” directly aligning with the core focus of this target.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.

  The article highlights that NTDs “predominantly [affect] the poorest communities” and lock them into “cycles of poverty.” The response described involves building “community health systems from the ground up” and deploying “frontline workers” for “mass drug administration.” These actions represent social protection systems designed to reach the most vulnerable populations, as called for in this target.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.

  The article emphasizes that NTDs disproportionately affect the “poorest communities in the global south,” causing “marginalization.” The efforts by endemic countries to invest “domestic resources” and build “community health systems” are policies aimed at correcting this health inequality and providing essential services to marginalized groups, thereby contributing to greater equality.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

  The article explicitly states that successful efforts involve “partnering with pharmaceutical companies and the private sector.” This highlights the multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, communities, and private entities, which is the essence of Target 17.17, to achieve the goal of NTD elimination.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Target 3.3

• Indicator 3.3.5: Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases.

  The article provides a baseline by stating that NTDs “affect over 1 billion people worldwide” and “hundreds of millions of people” in Africa. Progress towards the target can be measured by a reduction in this number as a result of the interventions described, such as “mass drug administration.”

For Target 1.3

• Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable.

  The article implies this indicator through its description of “mass drug administration exercise[s]” and the building of “community health systems.” The number of people, particularly children and the poor, reached by these health interventions serves as a measure of the coverage of these social protection systems.

For Target 10.4

• Implied Indicator: Investment in health services for marginalized communities.

  The article mentions that endemic countries are “investing domestic resources” to combat NTDs that affect the poorest. An increase in domestic budget allocation for community health systems and NTD programs in these regions would be a direct indicator of policy adoption to reduce health inequalities.

For Target 17.17

• Implied Indicator: Number and effectiveness of public-private partnerships for health.

  The article points to “partnering with pharmaceutical companies and the private sector” as a key strategy for success. The number of such partnerships formed and the resources they mobilize (e.g., medicines for mass drug administration) can be used as an indicator to measure progress on this target.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: devex.com