ACTION 3 – MAKE NTD GOALS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS
health workers. In addition, the END Fund has worked with the Minis- try of Health to successfully mobilise resources for NTDs from the private sector, totalling over $700,000 in direct, aligned and in-kind funding for the inclusion of NTD services in primary health care. ■ In Kenya: Our Deworming Innovation Fund, supported by domestic resources, has led to a significant increase in financing for NTD control and elimi- nation, from $8,035.00 in 2021/2022 to $161,240.00 in 2024/2025. When countries invest in integrated NTD care, they are investing in resilient systems that detect threats early, protect families’ incomes, and keep economies moving.
NTDs are not just a health issue. They are a cross-cutting development challenge, and solving them requires full-spectrum lead- ership. From finance ministries to education, from climate resilience and water to infra- structure, NTDs must remain central to development strategies. Access to clean water and sanitation reduces transmission of diseases like schistosomiasis and tra- choma. School-based programmes teach prevention. Ministries of finance play a crit- ical role in sustaining gains through smart budgeting and cross-sectoral investment. The G20 can lead by embedding NTDs in the wider global agenda through One Health, climate resilience, and pandemic preparedness frameworks. Furthermore, multilateral institutions must protect NTD funding amid competing crises and sup- port the WHO in delivering integrated country-level assistance. At the same time, private sector partners must be part of the solution. From pharma- ceutical innovation to new diagnostics and delivery models, companies can accelerate progress, bring new technologies to market, and unlock efficiencies that public systems alone cannot achieve. At the END Fund, our unique funding model and systems approach focuses on convening these cross-sector investors and leaders from around the world, and bring- ing them together with in-country leaders around high-impact opportunities to scale innovative, community-based solutions for NTD treatment and elimination closing the global inequity gap. When we treat NTDs as a shared respon- sibility, rather than a niche concern, we unlock the true potential of this work: to strengthen economies, prevent the exac- erbation of conflict-driven instability, and improve global cooperation. THE DECADE TO END NEGLECT NTDs are among the most solvable global health challenges. We have decades of expe- rience, local leadership, and proven tools. What we need now is sustained action. By integrating NTD care into health systems,
// DR. SOLOMON ZEWDU Dr. Solomon Zewdu is Chief Executive Officer of the END Fund, and was previously Senior Executive Resident for Strategy, Planning and Programming at the Mastercard Foundation. He served as deputy director in the Africa office of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and has been working in global health in Africa for the past 18 years, leading teams that shape integrated, resilient and impactful health development, nutrition programs, disease eradication, and human capital programmes across the continent. Throughout his career he has worked with both the public and private sector, overseeing multi-million
ACTION 2 – TURN GLOBAL COMMITMENTS INTO NATIONAL RESULTS
Global frameworks like the Kigali Dec- laration on NTDs provide targets, but measurable national implementation is what delivers results. Community-led delivery models have demonstrated that elimination is achievable when local sys- tems are empowered. ■ Togo became the first country to eliminate four NTDs (Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, sleeping sickness, and trachoma) through communi- ty-driven delivery and strong political will. ■ Nigeria’s five-year NTD Master Plan prioritises domestic financing and coordination across states, reducing reliance on donors. ■ In Niger , eliminating river blindness reclaimed tens of thousands of hectares of farmland, directly boosting agricul- tural productivity and aligning health gains with national economic and food security priorities. These examples provide critical blue- prints. Scaling for impact requires the global health community to support countries in scaling what works, align- ing funding and technical expertise with national development and economic priorities.
dollar programmes spanning the full spectrum of human development and poverty alleviation, including the seeding of the Africa CDC and the new MADIBA vaccine manufacturing institute in Dakar. He has served as the Presidential Airlift Group (PAG) physician and completed a successful military career as a decorated Lieutenant Colonel veteran of the US Airforce. translating global commitments into real national outcomes, and embedding NTD goals across sectors, we can end the cycle of neglect and unlock a healthier future for all. As leaders gather in global forums, from the UNGA to the G20, the END Fund invites a collective recognition of this moment for what it is: a pivotal opportunity to invest in one of the greatest public health victories of our time. Let’s end NTDs and build a world where no one is left behind.
1 “Fiji becomes the 26th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem.” World Health Organization: WHO, Who. int, 2025, https://www.who.int/news/item/20-10-2025-fiji-becomes-the-26th-country-to-eliminate-trachoma-as-a-public- health-problem 2 “Brief Summary of All NTDs for the World NTD Day 2025.” World Health Organization: WHO, Who.int, 2025, www.who.int/campaigns/world-ntd-day/2025/brief-outline. 3 World. “Neglected Tropical Diseases Further Neglected due to ODA Cuts.” Who.int, World Health Organization: WHO, 4 June 2025, www.who.int/news/item/04-06-2025-neglected-tropical- diseases-further-neglected-due-to-oda-cuts. 4 Fitzpatrick, Christopher, et al. “An Investment Case for Ending Neglected Tropical Diseases.” Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 6): Major Infectious Diseases, 6 Nov. 2017, pp. 411–431, https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0524-0_ch17.
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