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Berlin, 26 Jan 2023 - "To effectively tackle neglected tropical diseases, we need safer, simpler and more effective treatments that are affordable and available to people. We call on the German government to provide more support for efforts to develop and disseminate diagnoses, treatments and vaccinations to combat neglected tropical diseases and to elaborate and implement the commitments made (e.g. on the occasion of the Kigali Declaration) into an action plan for research and development," explains Prof. Dr Achim Hörauf, spokesperson of the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases, Director of the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at Bonn University Hospital.

"More investment in programmes to combat neglected tropical diseases signals change to the world, leads to better education, health and employment opportunities. Since NTDs are primarily diseases of poverty, we are improving the living conditions of the world's poorest by providing access to health care," Hörauf continued.

Eliminating the neglected tropical diseases NTDs is possible in our lifetime. No one should suffer from preventable, treatable diseases, especially since appropriate drugs and vaccines are often donated and available. The treatment and prevention programmes based on them reach more than a billion people every year. They must be continued consistently and continuously.

COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of investing in strong public health systems that can both respond to endemic diseases like NTDs and make the world more resilient to pandemics. Smart investments upfront can save billions in the long run.

For more information on the World Day Against Neglected Tropical Diseases, please visit

https://worldntdday.org/get-involved/

Facts and figures

The German government was the first western country to sign the Kigali Declaration against Neglected Tropical Diseases. Other state signatories currently are:  Botswana, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Uganda and Vanuatu, as well as Belgium, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the USA. More information on other signatories https://unitingtocombatntds.org/kigali-declaration-commitment-tracker/

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