Report of the Fourth Meeting of NTD National Programme & Data Managers from the WHO African Region

Stepping into the decade of NTDs elimination

The year 2020 was an unprecedented year characterised by uncertainties, as the world made efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic response has taught us how much we are interlinked and the need for integrated health programmes and responses. 

The year 2021 has also begun with a significant setback for the NTD community, particularly in the African region, due to the early interruption of the UK FCDO funding to the ASCEND project, which was providing support to over 1,800 implementation units across Africa. Although some big donors, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the ELMA Foundation have joined forces to mitigate the impact of the temporary interruption of funding from the UK FCDO, there is a growing need to better monitor funding availability across the African region to ensure that resources are allocated where they are needed most.