The ESPEN Annual Report 2025 documents a year of sustained progress towards PC-NTD elimination across the WHO African Region, despite significant funding disruptions. It also marks the launch of the ESPEN Strategy 2026–2030. Now available in English and French.

On 26 May 2026, the WHO Regional Office for Africa, through the ESPEN project, officially launched Cohort III of the Mwele Malecela Mentorship Programme. While women are at the forefront of the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) across Africa, they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles. This structured, two-year programme addresses this leadership gap by equipping seven mid-career African women from seven countries with advanced leadership, technical, and advocacy skills. Aligned with the ESPEN Strategy 2026–2030 and the WHO NTD Roadmap, the initiative honors the legacy of the late Dr. Mwelecele Ntuli Malecela by fostering country-led, gender-inclusive health systems, aiming to mentor at least 40 women leaders by 2030 to accelerate NTD elimination across the Region.

On 19 March 2026, ESPEN convened a regional webinar bringing together national programmes, researchers, and partners to explore how geostatistical modelling can strengthen schistosomiasis mapping and impact assessments. The discussions highlighted the importance of combining analytical innovation with country-led surveillance systems, improved diagnostics, and empirical data collection to support more targeted and efficient programme decision-making across the Region.

Lubumbashi, 27–29 April 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo convened a national workshop to develop its 2026–2028 multi-year health campaign integration plan, bringing together national authorities, WHO/AFRO experts, and partners. Supported by the DPC Cluster and ESPEN, the initiative identified 33 integrated public health campaigns aimed at improving coordination across immunization, NTDs, nutrition, and other priority interventions. The workshop reinforced the importance of integrated planning, digital innovation, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen health system efficiency and sustainability in the DRC.