7th Annual Meeting of NTD Programme Managers in Africa

Brazaville (Congo) - The Disease Prevention and Control (DPC) cluster at WHO AFRO, in collaboration with the NTD Programme at WHO EMRO and the NTD Team at the African Union Commission, will convene the 7th Annual Meeting of NTD Programme Managers in Africa from 13 to 16 April 2026 at the BIC Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. The joint organization of the meeting reflects continued regional coordination and political commitment to advancing progress toward the 2030 NTD targets.

This annual meeting provides a key regional platform for NTD programme managers from all 55 African Union Member States, Ministries of Health, WHO country, regional and headquarters teams, donors, implementing partners, and technical experts to review progress, address persistent bottlenecks, and align strategies for accelerating and sustaining NTD elimination. As the African Region continues to bear the highest global burden of NTDs, the meeting will focus on translating policy commitments into practical, country-led action amid increasing financing constraints and competing health priorities.

Discussions will emphasize strengthening regional coordination and cross-border collaboration, expanding the use of digital tools, dashboards, and AI-enabled analytics for planning and reporting, integrating priority NTD services within primary health care systems, and advancing sustainable and domestic financing strategies to protect elimination gains. The programme will also review implementation of recommendations from the 2025 Programme Managers Meeting and share practical innovations and lessons learned across countries.

By bringing together decision-makers and partners around a shared agenda, the 2026 Programme Managers Meeting aims to strengthen collective accountability, support evidence-based decision-making, and ensure that NTD elimination efforts remain resilient, people-centred, and firmly on track towards the WHO NTD Roadmap 2021–2030 goals.