Events

The 2nd UGS Webinar will explore the current landscape of urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) and approaches to strengthening its integration within health systems in the WHO African Region.

The webinar will introduce the UGS Landscape Analysis Tool, developed to help countries identify gaps, assess existing services and explore opportunities for integration. Participants will also hear updates on UGS tools developed through the WHO AFRO Technical Advisory Group on UGS (TAG-UGS).

The 11th PC-NTD Regional Programme Advisory Group meeting will take place on 26–28 October 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The RPAG will review progress, gaps and risks across the five PC-NTDs and implementation of the ESPEN Strategy 2026–2030, while identifying priority areas for intensified support and recommendations to guide ESPEN and Member States in 2027.

The 11th ESPEN Steering Committee Meeting will take place on 29–30 October 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Committee will review the first year of the ESPEN Strategy 2026–2030, including programmatic and financial performance, country progress towards elimination, funding and partnerships, and provide strategic guidance on priorities and country support for 2027 and beyond.

ESPEN is convening regional workshops from 31 August–2 September (Anglophone) and 14–16 September 2026 (Francophone) to finalize PC-NTD Elimination Dossiers for submission to WHO in 2026. The workshops brought together country teams, WHO Country Offices, WHO AFRO and technical experts to review dossier readiness and address remaining evidence and documentation gaps. 

From 24–28 August 2026, WHO AFRO/ESPEN convened a regional training workshop in Kintele, Brazzaville, to strengthen country capacity for PC-NTD data processing, quality assurance, analysis and use, with a strong focus on translating data into evidence-informed programme decisions.

From 22–23 July 2026, WHO AFRO/ESPEN held multilingual orientation webinars to guide countries through the Mid-Term Review of the WHO NTD road map 2021–2030 for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, supporting country-led assessment of progress, bottlenecks and priority actions towards elimination.

Capacity-Building Opportunity: Disease Elimination & Eradication Course (DEEC) 2026 ESPEN is pleased to share a unique training opportunity hosted by our partners: GLIDE, the University of Global Health Equity, and The Carter Center. Running from July 20 to September 8, 2026, this hybrid (online and in-person in Rwanda) course is designed for mid-career public health professionals and Ministry of Health country teams looking to build advanced competencies in strategy development for NTD, malaria, and polio elimination. Scholarship support is available for eligible applicants. Review the details and submit your application by June 15, 2026. 

WHO AFRO and ESPEN cordially invite you to attend a one‑hour webinar on 25th June (Anglophone) and 26th June (Francophone) presenting key outcomes and lessons learned from the Training Workshop on Dossier Preparation Guidelines and Quality Assessment of Preventive Chemotherapy NTD (PC‑NTD) Elimination Dossiers, held in Brazzaville from 19–21 May 2026.

ESPEN will convene a regional workshop from 15 to 19 June 2026 in Kintélé, Brazzaville, to strengthen national capacities in supply chain coordination and medicine forecasting. The event will bring together national supply chain officers, WHO experts, and pharmaceutical partners to optimize delivery systems and accelerate the elimination of neglected tropical diseases across Africa.

On 4–5 June 2026, ESPEN convened a regional webinar with 89 participants from 18 African countries to strengthen NTD survey planning, introducing standardized protocols, improved data-quality workflows and ESPEN Collect’s end-to-end support from protocol development through data reporting.

ESPEN will convene a regional workshop from 19–21 May 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

Malawi is advancing the implementation of WHO guidance on Integrated Post-Validation Surveillance (PVS) for NTDs through a national technical workshop. Building on its elimination of lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and leprosy as public health problems, the country is strengthening system-wide surveillance to detect and respond to potential recrudescence. Supported by GLIDE and WHO/ESPEN, this initiative reinforces country-led, sustainable surveillance embedded within national health systems.

WHO AFRO will convene the second meeting (virtual) of the Regional Technical Advisory Group on Urogenital Schistosomiasis (TAG-UGS) on 29 April 2026 to review and validate key regional tools supporting UGS integration. Bringing together technical experts and WHO teams, the session will refine guidance and align approaches to ensure relevance for country implementation. This meeting marks an important step in advancing coordinated, system-based responses to UGS across the African Region.

WHO AFRO will host a regional webinar on 22 April 2026 to advance the integration of urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) within national health systems across the African Region. Bringing together countries, partners, and experts, the session will highlight practical pathways to embed UGS into existing services such as SRHR, HIV/STI programmes, and primary health care. The webinar will also showcase regional tools and coordination efforts to support countries in moving towards integrated, person-centred approaches.