Berlin, June 16, 2025 – The German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs) is very pleased with the decision of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to present this year’s Commitment Award for “outstanding personal commitment in development cooperation” to Prof. Dr. Martin Kollmann. The award honors his life’s work, which has significantly contributed to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.
As early as the 2000s – when neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) received little attention in Germany – Prof. Kollmann strongly advocated for these preventable and typically poverty-related diseases to be brought back onto the development policy agenda. He played a key role in the founding of the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs) in 2014. This founding was inspired by the London Declaration, signed two years earlier by committed donor countries, companies, and NGOs, which brought NTDs into the spotlight – although Germany had not signed it at the time.
Together with the DNTDs, Prof. Dr. Martin Kollmann helped ensure that the fight against these diseases regained attention in Germany in the years that followed. Programs were initiated, and key institutions involved in combating NTDs received support from the German government. When the London Declaration was renewed in 2022 and replaced by the Kigali Declaration, which gave high priority to NTDs on the global health agenda, Germany became the first Western industrialized nation to sign it.
Prof. Dr. Martin Kollmann is a specialist in ophthalmology. His path was shaped by personal experiences: in the 1980s, he worked as a doctor in rural Ethiopia through the German Development Service (DED). There, he encountered deep poverty, preventable blindness, and social exclusion – as well as the remarkable resilience of those affected.
In 1994, with support from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), he went to Nairobi as a lecturer to strengthen ophthalmological training through a partnership with the University of Munich. Starting in 2001, he worked with CBM Christoffel Mission for the Blind, focusing on training and developing sustainable healthcare structures in rural Kenya.
From 2010 onward, his professional focus shifted to fighting NTDs. As a technical advisor at CBM, he worked closely with partners from national programs, the WHO, research, industry, and civil society. Particularly important to him was working directly with local health workers and volunteers: “They know the challenges on the ground best – and often the appropriate solutions too. I learned a great deal from them – about respect, innovation, and humanity.”
Through his “train-the-trainer” approach, Prof. Kollmann made a significant contribution to training local healthcare personnel – and helped restore eyesight to many.
Even in retirement, from Nairobi, Martin Kollmann continues to be deeply committed – professionally, politically, and personally – to Germany’s efforts in the fight against NTDs. As a bridge-builder between research, private sector, and civil society, Prof. Kollmann offers valuable input – also for the implementation of the WHO NTD Roadmap 2030, which is up for a midterm review this year. Looking ahead, he emphasizes: “To achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and eliminate NTDs, we need global solidarity, innovative approaches, strong local systems – and the active involvement of those affected. Civil society engagement is not optional, but essential.”
Photo: CBM Christoffel Mission for the Blind
