Six new organisations have endorsed the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), demonstrating their commitment to ending these preventable and treatable diseases.
The Kigali Declaration on NTDs is a high-level, political declaration that is mobilising political will, community commitment, resources and action, and securing commitments needed to end suffering caused by NTDs. Each signatory makes a unique and vital contribution towards ending NTDs and collectively, these translate into incredible progress being made.
The new endorsers of the Declaration are: British Society of Parasitology, Indian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (iNTD), The MENTOR Initiative, The NALA Foundation, Noma Action Group, and Orbis International.
British Society of Parasitology
Pictured: The BSP Council sign the Kigali Declaration at their away day
The British Society for Parasitology (BSP) look to draw attention to the unique importance of parasitology as a distinct discipline within biology. As part of their endorsement, they commit to providing NTD researchers and stakeholders across the globe with a communication platform through their large meetings, with at least 25% of speakers to focus on NTDs, providing funding for student travel awards for dissemination of research on NTDs at BSP meetings, and free membership to researchers based in LMICs, with over 30% of these individuals working on NTDs.
On signing the Declaration, BSP said:
“The BSP Council were delighted to sign the Kigali Declaration on behalf of the Society to show our support and commitment to the control and elimination of NTDs. Many of our members study NTDs associated with parasites, covering a wide range of areas from the fundamental biology and interactions of parasites, their hosts and vectors, right through to the development and implementation of interventions in endemic regions. Effective control of NTDs will require a huge combined effort across different disciplines and sectors but will help to improve the lives of millions of people across the globe.”
The Indian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (iNTD)
Pictured: iNTD sign the Kigali Declaration at the iNTD colloquium, bringing together experts and those affected by NTDs
The Indian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (iNTD) is an NGO which has been working on the elimination of skin NTDs for over a decade. The network is an amalgamation of experts from different fields of medicine such as public health, internal medicine, entomology, microbiology, virology, and parasitology looking to to address the problem of NTDs in Asia and Africa.
To provide a human perspective on NTDs, three patients affected by lymphatic filariasis were invited to share their experiences at iNTD's signing of the Kigali Declaration, shedding light on the impact of these diseases on individuals and communities.
Dr K N Panicker, Chairman of iNTD, said:
“The Kigali Declaration is an inspirational commitment towards ending neglected tropical diseases, to help build resilient communities thereby achieving health equity and Universal Health Coverage for all. By endorsing the Kigali Declaration, iNTD hopes to empower communities living with neglected tropical diseases.”
The MENTOR Initiative
Pictured: Deputy Director Sérgio Lopes and Head of Programmes Adrian Connelly at the MENTOR Initiative sign the declaration
The MENTOR Initiative saves lives in emergencies through tropical disease control and stays to help people recover from crisis with dignity. MENTOR works side by side communities, health workers and health authorities to leave a lasting impact. Their commitment is related to many aspects of their work including support for Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaigns, disease mapping, and surveillance for disease elimination.
On signing the Declaration, they said:
“The MENTOR Initiative is proud to join this important global movement and contribute to the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases. We are committed to our vision to reduce deaths and suffering from tropical diseases, aligning with the Kigali Declaration’s commitment to focus on people suffering from NTDs. We will continue to coordinate with local authorities to leverage from existing investments and increase the reach of programmes we support. We are dedicated to actively engage with communities affected by NTDs and be guided by robust evidence and strong monitoring and evaluation processes.”
The NALA Foundation
Pictured: Representatives from the NALA Foundation sign the Kigali Declaration at the NNN Conference in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
As a public health NGO committed to the prevention and elimination of NTDs, the work of NALA is entirely focused on reaching the last mile and eliminating NTDs.
On the endorsement, Sarit Baum, Head of Partnerships and Communications at NALA said:
"NALA stands resolute in its commitment to eradicate neglected tropical diseases, directing funds in their entirety towards health education, WASH improvements, and policy advocacy. Joining the Kigali Declaration is a testament to the recognition that true impact emerges when each partner contributes their unique expertise. The Declaration serves as a blueprint for joint efforts, uniting sectors in a common mission. NALA's decision to be part of this collective force stems from a pragmatic belief in the effectiveness of shared responsibility and expertise."
Noma Action Group
Pictured: Representatives from the Noma Action Group proudly display the signed Kigali Declaration
The Noma Action Group work on advocacy towards the eradication of noma, a newly classified NTD, and are based at the University of Toronto, Canada. Their commitment includes working with global partners to have WHO propose an action item about noma at the Executive Board meeting and the annual World Health Assembly, held in May.
Joel Rosenbloom, co-founder of Noma Action Group said:
“My own experience with patients suffering from noma dates back to 1987 in Mozambique, which was life altering. During the past four years at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto since the creation of the Noma Action Group (NAG), a small group of students with one professorial support have worked hard to increase awareness of noma and advocate for it being listed as an NTD. The success realized when the WHO announced its inclusion in December 2023 reinforced that we can make change as a global community and with that in mind, NAG is delighted to have signed the Kigali Declaration and totally supports the commitment to combat and end NTDs, because together we can do it.”
Orbis International
Pictured: Orbis International President and CEO Derek Hodkey and Orbis Ethiopia Country Director, Dr. Alemayehu Sisayin in Ethiopia at the time of Orbis’s administration of its 100-millionth dose of trachoma-fighting antibiotics in the country
Orbis International is an international NGO dedicated to saving sight worldwide. With their partners, they are committed to helping eliminate trachoma in Ethiopia, with this a key pillar for their strategic plan for 2022 to 2026.
Derek Hodkey, President and CEO at Orbis International said:
“As we commemorate the second anniversary of the Kigali Declaration, Orbis remains proud to be a signatory to this important effort and part of the larger community working to end Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), conditions that continue to affect the health and wellbeing of 1.65 billion people around the globe. Orbis’s contributions are focused on fighting sight-threatening trachoma, and in 2023, we marked a key milestone in our efforts: administering our 100-millionth dose of trachoma-fighting antibiotics in Ethiopia. Knowing there is still much vital work ahead, we look forward to even more milestones in 2024 alongside our partners – and everyone working together to achieve the NTD targets in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
All the new endorsers have uploaded their commitment to the Kigali Declaration Commitment Tracker, the only financing tracker for NTDs. The Commitment Tracker enables partners in the NTD community to understand the volume and distribution of resources being invested in NTD programmes whilst holding endorsers of the Kigali Declaration accountable for the commitments they have made.
How to endorse the Kigali Declaration on NTDs
We continue to welcome endorsements and commitments for the Kigali Declaration.
We are engaging with partners including countries, organisations, companies, and institutions to support the Declaration and make new commitments to end NTDs.
To distinguish this high-level political declaration from a mere petition, and to ensure it is implementable and deliverable, we ask that every endorsement comes with a dedicated commitment added to the Commitment Tracker towards ending NTDs.
To make a commitment, please email commitments@unitingtocombatntds.org confirming the name of your organisation and the name, position and contact details of the primary contact/representative. You will then be sent an invitation to make your commitment via the portal and to endorse the Kigali Declaration.
We thank all endorsers for their unique and vital contributions. Together, we can #BeatNTDs.
