Prof. Dr Andrew Ullmann

For many years neglected tropical diseases, NTDs, have received little to no attention on a global scale despite its devasting effect on public health. And by making things worse, the poorest of the poor are infected by these diseases. Let me remind you: NTDs compromise people’s health, they keep children out of school, cause disability and mental distress. NTDs also hamper the economy, kill growth, parity and impede the poorest of education. But NTDs are curable and in fact prevention and treatments are cheap. NTDs programmes also recognize the importance of eliminating of poor sanitation and in equate access to clean water. With reaching the unreached g NTD programmes can provide a gateway to universal health coverage and in return can lead to prosperity. We have to continue our mission to eliminate NTDs so no one regardless of where they live should suffer from these diseases. Whilst the world continues to battle COVID 19, we can’t allow them suffering by NTDs, find themselves neglected even further. We cannot allow that the pandemic reverses years of hard work progress against NTDs.