What is the Steering Committee?
The ESPEN Steering Committee (SC) is the strategic advisory body established by the WHO Regional Director for Africa to guide the implementation of the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN).
It serves as a platform bringing together Member States, donors, medicine donation programmes, implementing partners, and WHO to provide high-level direction, oversight, and advocacy towards achieving the regional targets for the elimination of preventive chemotherapy-amenable NTDs (PC-NTDs).
Objectives and Purpose
The Steering Committee’s primary purpose is to advise the WHO Regional Director in advancing progress toward the control and elimination of PC-NTDs in the African Region.
It provides strategic guidance, oversight, and recommendations to ensure ESPEN’s alignment with regional and global NTD strategies and facilitates collaboration among partners.
Key objectives include:
- Providing strategic recommendations on ESPEN’s priorities, approaches, and performance.
- Supporting advocacy and resource mobilization to secure adequate funding for country workplans and regional initiatives.
- Reviewing ESPEN’s annual action plan and resource allocation proposals from the ESPEN Secretariat.
- Promoting country ownership, integration of NTD interventions within national health systems, and sustainability of results.
- Facilitating engagement among key stakeholders to accelerate progress toward the WHO NTD Roadmap 2021–2030 goals.
How the Steering Committee Supports ESPEN
Through its deliberations, the Steering Committee ensures that ESPEN:
- Remains responsive to countries’ needs and global NTD policy changes.
- Coordinates effectively with technical bodies such as the Regional Programme Review Group (RPRG).
- Promotes innovation, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making across the NTD community.
- Serves as a trusted convening platform for partnership, accountability, and shared progress.
Organizational Structure
The Steering Committee is composed of 18 members representing different constituencies in the NTD ecosystem:
| Constituency | Representation |
|---|
| Member States | 8 representatives – two per sub-region (West, Central, East, and Southern Africa) |
| Medicine Donors | 2 seats |
| Financial Donors | 3 seats |
| Implementing Partners (NGDOs/NGDN) | 2 seats |
| WHO Management | 1 seat |
| ESPEN Team Leader | Serves as Secretary to the Committee |
| NTD Programme Managers’ Network (Kikundi) | 1 representative |
The Chairperson is elected by the Committee members and confirmed by the Regional Director for a two-year term. Members serve renewable two-year mandates.
Observers from partner organizations may attend meetings upon invitation.
Meetings and Operations
The Steering Committee meets annually in person, with additional virtual or ad hoc sessions as needed.
Meetings are chaired by the elected Chairperson, while the ESPEN Team Leader serves as Secretary.
All proceedings and recommendations are documented and submitted to the WHO Regional Director, who ensures follow-up and feedback to all members.
Efforts are made to ensure multilingual accessibility of all background materials (English, French, Portuguese) and inclusive participation from all sub-regions.
