WASHINGTON, D.C. — Results for Development (R4D) recently joined USAID’s new Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) | East Project, led by RTI International. The project focuses on partnering with NTD-endemic countries to eliminate five of the most common NTDs, including lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and intestinal worms (hookworm, ringworm and whipworm), which affect more than one billion people worldwide.
In more than a decade of NTD programming, USAID and its partners have accomplished what many would have considered impossible: through close collaboration with the private sector —in which pharmaceutical companies have donated $19 billion worth of drugs to USAID-supported countries — and technical support from the global development community, many countries have eliminated, or are close to eliminating, some of the major NTDs affecting their populations.
Act to End NTDs | East will support countries in addressing barriers through innovation, documenting and sharing successes, and identifying sustainable, long-term control platforms. Working across 13 countries — Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Laos, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam — this program will support select countries to develop mainstreaming plans, engaging and leveraging across sectors to ensure sustainable NTD programming. Act to End NTDs | East will also strengthen local capacity for planning, budgeting and delivery so that NTD programs can continue with high levels of effectiveness.
R4D will lead the project’s health financing activities within broader efforts to more fully incorporate NTDs programming into the mainstream health system. Together with partners, R4D will support government officials and communities to assume greater programmatic and financial responsibility for the NTDs response. This effort will build upon R4D’s track record of work on sustainability, integration, and transition planning across a range of health areas, including HIV and TB, family planning, and immunization. R4D will also draw on extensive experience in health systems strengthening, health financing and market shaping — bringing lessons and tools to the NTDs community from across the health sector.
“We’re delighted to be working with RTI International to continue carrying forward the progress made under the flagship ENVISION program,” said Maria Francisco, program director at Results for Development. “As more countries work to eliminate the burden of neglected tropical diseases on their populations, ensuring that countries have ownership over these programs will be paramount. We’re excited to partner with RTI, and the other members of Act to End NTDs | East, to support sustainable financing solutions to accelerate the elimination of these debilitating diseases.”
Other implementing partners include: The Carter Center, Fred Hollows Foundation, IMA World Health, Light for the World, Sightsavers, Save the Children, and WI-HER.
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About Results for Development
Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too. For more information, visit our website at: www.r4d.org.
Photo © RTI International/Louise Gubb
