Commonwealth leaders ‘to make bold commitments’ on malaria, NTDs

Leaders from around the Commonwealth will, on June 23, meet to make “bold commitments” towards ending malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The gathering will be hosted by President Paul Kagame and co-convened by the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership to End Malaria, the largest global platform for coordinated action towards a world free from malaria, and uniting to combat NTDs, a collective of various partners working to beat NTDs. According to organisers, the high-level summit will serve as a landmark moment to renew commitments and call for more significant investments to end malaria and NTDs. NTDs are a group of 20 viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases that mainly affect the world’s poorest people. Common types of NTDs include Hookworm Infection, Human African Trypanosomiasis, Leprosy, Lymphatic Filariasis also known as elephantiasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Trachoma, among others. During the meeting, Heads of Government, communities, business leaders, and philanthropists will highlight how ending malaria and NTDs can “unlock the potential” for countries to build a safer and healthier world. “Through high-level panels on integration, innovation, and health financing, the Summit will outline how investment towards ending these diseases will save more lives, improve equity, drive economic growth, and build resilient health systems,” reads a statement from the organisers. Prof. Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said: “It is wonderful to see so many leaders and sectors come together in Kigali today to make high-level commitments to reinvigorate action towards malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Incredible progress over the last two decades proves that ending Malaria and NTDs is a worthy and achievable goal. We must all play our part in ending undue suffering, so we can improve the health of nations worldwide, unlock stronger economic growth and deliver a better future for all.” It is expected that, during the meeting, world leaders will endorse the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, a new high-level political declaration seeking to mobilise political will and secure commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 that aims at ending NTDs, among other diseases. According to statistics, in 2020, 627,000 lives were lost to malaria – the highest in nearly a decade. Globally, over 1.2 billion people are affected by NTDs, with Africa being the most affected part of the globe with almost 40 per cent of the global NTD burden. Dr Corine Karema, the Interim chief executive of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, said response to Covid-19 has shown the critical importance of investing in strong public health systems that can both respond to endemic diseases, such as malaria and NTDs, and build global resilience against pandemics and other health threats. To date, 46 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, and 600 million people no longer require treatment.

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Commonwealth leaders ‘to make bold commitments’ on malaria, NTDs