Strategic and technical meeting on intensified control of neglected tropical diseases: report of an international workshop

This document, produced by the World Health Organization, reports on a meeting held in 2005 by WHO and the German development agency GTZ on the control of neglected tropical diseases. Participants at the workshop agreed that the situation concerning these diseases is changing: they are receiving more attention, and neglected disease control is recognised as a pro-poor initiative with huge benefits. As well as reducing illness and disability, such programmes can lead to better nutritional status, better educational outcomes, improved growth and cognitive development, reduced maternal mortality, and increased worker productivity.

For many neglected diseases, the document argues that good control tools are already available and can be implemented even in areas with weak health systems. For other diseases, better use of existing tools and urgent work to move new tools from the research stage to implementation are needed. Other recommendations emerging from the workshop include: ensuring the sustainability of rapid impact interventions; encouraging coordination among international partnerships; using existing tools for controlling disease vectors (such as mosquitoes) more effectively; promoting access to drugs and insecticide-treated nets at no cost; and raising awareness of the neglected diseases amongst national health ministries, research institutes, and donors.