Integrated Workshop on Data Collection, Reporting, and Utilization for Preventive Chemotherapy NTDs

21-25 July2025

Brazzaville (Congo) - From 21 to 25 July 2025, the Integrated Workshop on Data Collection, Reporting, and Utilization for Preventive Chemotherapy NTDs was held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, bringing together over 100 participants from Ministries of Health, WHO country offices, regional and global teams, and implementing partners across the WHO African Region.

Organized by WHO/AFRO–ESPEN, in collaboration with WHO Headquarters, CHAI, and key partners, the workshop aimed to strengthen national capacity across the NTD data value chain—from collection and reporting to programmatic use and forecasting—in support of the WHO NTD Roadmap 2030.

From data collection to data use

The five-day programme was structured to follow how NTD data is generated and applied in practice. Participants explored challenges and solutions related to:

Data collection and integration, including the use of ESPEN Collect and alignment with national HMIS and LMIS;
Data reporting, with a focus on improving the quality, timeliness, and transparency of Joint Application Package (JAP) submissions;
Data utilization for decision-making, using dashboards, maps, and planning tools to guide MDA targeting, monitoring, and strategic adjustments;
Forecasting and supply chain planning, emphasizing multi-year forecasting, medicine reconciliation, and stewardship of donated commodities.

Country experiences from across the region illustrated how better use of data can directly improve programme efficiency, equity, and accountability.

Key outcomes

Across the workshop, several cross-cutting outcomes emerged:

Countries reaffirmed the importance of integrating NTD indicators into national information systems to strengthen ownership and sustainability.
New tools, including the JAP Upload Tool, ESPEN Portal dashboards, IU Planner, and Multi-Year Forecasting approaches, were positively received as enablers of more timely and accurate planning.
Participants emphasized that data use must be continuous and action-oriented, supporting routine programme decisions rather than serving only reporting requirements.
The introduction of the ESPEN GenAI Assistant highlighted the potential of AI-enabled tools to improve access to technical guidance and reduce delays in decision-making.

Next steps

ESPEN and partners will provide post-workshop technical support, follow-up webinars, and continued refinement of regional digital platforms to support countries in applying the lessons learned. Countries were encouraged to institutionalize data review processes, strengthen multidisciplinary planning teams, and embed data use into routine NTD programme cycles.
The workshop reaffirmed that high-quality, well-used data is a cornerstone of NTD elimination, and that sustained investment in data systems and capacity is essential to accelerate progress across the African Region.