Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) have long undermined the potentialn of Africa, affecting health, lowering school attendance, and stifling productivity.
Although preventable and treatable, they have historically been relegated to the margins of global health priorities, leaving millions of people vulnerable to avoidable suffering and economic hardship. Yet, the tide is shifting.
Today, more than 56 countries globally and over 20 in Africa have eliminated at least one NTD as a public health problem.
Countries such as Togo, Ghana, Kenya, Benin, Senegal, and Niger have made historic gains, with Togo alone eliminating four diseases.
These achievements are not isolated victories, as they demonstrate that with sustained financing, political will, and strategic partnerships, elimination is within reach.
The global target of 100 countries eliminating at least one NTD by 2030 is no longer aspirational; it is a tangible milestone now clearly in sight.
This progress is worth celebrating. More importantly, it should energize us to maintain and accelerate momentum.
The examples already emerging across the continent illustrate what is possible. For instance, Niger’s elimination of river blindness, announced earlier this year, is projected to generate an estimated $2.3 billion in economic gains through increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
Senegal recently eliminated trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, safeguarding the futures of countless children and families.
Rwanda, by fully funding its operational costs for mass treatment campaigns, demonstrates how domestic financing strengthens ownership and ensures sustainability.
These successes tell a powerful story showing that investment in eliminating NTDs is not simply a health intervention but a driver of economic transformation and human capital development.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Progress is uneven, and in some contexts, fragile. Volatile donor funding has already delayed mass treatment campaigns, revealing the danger of relying too heavily on external support.
Domestic health budgets across most countries remain far below the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target, averaging closer to 5 percent, which leaves many programmes vulnerable to underfunding.
And while elimination is a triumph, maintaining the achievement requires strong surveillance systems, continued treatment access, and preventive measures to ensure diseases do not resurface.
Without embedding these measures into national systems, the gains we celebrate today could easily be reversed tomorrow.
Sustaining momentum will require deliberate action.
Governments must institutionalize domestic financing by embedding NTD allocations within national health strategies and ensuring that funding is predictable and reliable.
Nigeria’s establishment of dedicated budget lines for its 16 priority NTDs provides an example of how this can be achieved. Regional collaboration must also deepen, because diseases do not respect borders.
The recent Memorandum of Understanding among Eastern African countries signed during the 78th World Health Assembly to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis illustrates the value of joint frameworks that transcend national boundaries and allow resources to be pooled, expertise to be shared, and surveillance to be coordinated.
At the same time, NTDs services must be fully integrated into health systems. This means moving beyond vertical campaigns and ensuring that community health workers, clinics, and national monitoring systems are all equipped to deliver prevention, treatment, and follow-up care as part of routine services.
By embedding NTD care within primary health structures, countries will not only sustain elimination but also strengthen resilience against future outbreaks and broader health shocks.
Another opportunity lies in harnessing private and philanthropic capital. Health is the most critical form of human capital upon which every sector of the economy depends.
By creating innovative vehicles for blended finance, African countries can attract private sector contributions that complement government and donor commitments while generating measurable social and economic returns.
The economic case for sustaining momentum is unassailable. Research shows that every $1 invested in NTD elimination can yield up to $25 in economic benefits through improved productivity and reduced treatment costs.
In 2023 alone, more than 860 million people received preventive treatment for NTDs, enabling children to stay in school and adults to remain productive.
Between 2011 and 2024, nearly 30 billion donated treatments were delivered worldwide, including 1.8 billion doses in 2024 alone.
These numbers represent millions of lives changed and billions of dollars in future earnings protected.
Africa’s NTD story has shifted from one of neglect to one of possibility. The question is no longer whether elimination is possible, but whether we will sustain the speed and focus required to finish the job.
The progress of more than 50 countries shows that elimination is achievable. By reinforcing domestic financing, embedding NTD interventions into health systems, and fostering cross-border and cross-sector partnerships, Africa can lead the world in ending NTDs and unlocking its full economic potential.
This is a rare moment in public health, with momentum finally on our side. The challenge now is not to let it slip away.
Victoria Miguda
The writer is the Africa Communications & Engagement Lead, Global Communications at The END Fund.
