Events
Upcoming events
To mark World NTD Day 2026, ESPEN will convene a regional webinar under the theme “Protecting Africa’s NTD Progress in a Time of Global Uncertainty.” The session will bring together countries, partners, and stakeholders to reflect on progress, share lessons learnt, and discuss priorities for sustaining NTD elimination efforts amid funding constraints and competing global challenges. Aligned with the global call to Unite, Act, Eliminate, the webinar will highlight the importance of coordinated action and investment to protect hard-won gains and accelerate progress toward the 2030 targets.
To mark World NTD Day 2026, ESPEN and WHO AFRO will commemorate the day in Brazzaville under the global theme “Unite. Act. Eliminate.” The event will combine an awareness session on onchocerciasis, a symbolic ivermectin distribution, and a Walk the Talk activity in Brazzaville to highlight the local relevance of NTDs and the collective action needed to sustain progress towards elimination.
ESPEN will convene the first in-person meeting of the Regional Expert Advisory Group on Urogenital Schistosomiasis (TAG-UGS) on 17–18 February 2026 in Brazzaville. The meeting will bring together regional experts and WHO technical teams to formally launch the TAG-UGS, review the regional status of urogenital schistosomiasis, and define priority actions to strengthen diagnosis, reporting, and integration within sexual and reproductive health services. The discussions will support harmonized, gender-responsive approaches aligned with the WHO NTD Roadmap 2030.
ESPEN will convene a regional workshop from 10–12 March 2026 in Brazzaville to strengthen country capacity for the preparation and submission of high-quality PC-NTD elimination dossiers. Bringing together national NTD programme staff, dossier committee members, and WHO experts from countries nearing elimination milestones, the workshop will address common challenges in data quality, completeness, and evidence synthesis. The event aims to reinforce country ownership of the dossier process and support timely, credible submissions in line with WHO requirements and the 2030 NTD Roadmap
The Annual Meeting of NTD Programme Managers in Africa will take place from 13–16 April 2026 in Lilongwe, Malawi, convening programme leaders and partners from across the region. The meeting will provide a platform to review progress, share practical solutions, and strengthen coordination on the use of digital tools, integration of NTD services within primary health care, and sustainable financing. Discussions will focus on sustaining momentum and accelerating progress toward the 2030 NTD targets.
Past events
This workshop brought together countries, WHO teams, and partners to strengthen data quality, improve the integration of PC-NTD information into national health systems, and enhance forecasting and supply chain planning. Through practical sessions and shared country experiences, participants advanced more efficient, coordinated, and sustainable M&E systems to support progress toward PC-NTD elimination.
ESPEN convened the 10th meeting of the Regional Programme Advisory Group (RPAG) for Preventive Chemotherapy, bringing together regional and global experts to review progress, assess technical priorities, and provide strategic guidance for PC-NTD programmes in the WHO African Region. The meeting focused on tracking progress towards elimination targets, addressing emerging programmatic and operational challenges, and strengthening evidence-based decision-making to support countries in accelerating and sustaining gains toward the 2030 NTD Roadmap goals.
ESPEN’s second Quarterly Stakeholder Webinar brought together 139 participants to explore how digitizing NTD delivery can strengthen health systems. The session highlighted the move from paper-based processes to integrated digital solutions, showcasing practical examples such as digital payments for NTD campaigns and Madagascar’s use of CommCare and mobile money. Discussions emphasized that while the technology is largely in place, successful scale-up depends on country ownership, strong legal and data-governance frameworks, and coordinated multi-sector engagement.
ESPEN launched its Quarterly Webinar Series with a high-level session on repositioning neglected tropical diseases in a challenging global context of funding constraints and competing crises. With over 100 participants, the webinar highlighted recent elimination milestones and shared strategic updates on ESPEN’s technical support, partnerships, and the launch of the new ESPEN Portal. Discussions stressed the importance of sustained commitment, stronger health-system integration, and innovative financing to stay on track toward the 2030 targets.
