Human African trypanosomiasis: number of new cases drops to lowest level in 50 years, WHO
Community-Based Education Strengthens Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis, Science Daily
Pharmacy students work to close the gap, Charles Sturt University
Foreign Policy Examines GHI, PEPFAR, Kaiser Family Foundation
Researchers In Australia Make Important Malaria Breakthrough, Government of Australia
Do Parasites Make You Dumber?, Cassandra Willyard, ScienceNOW
Dengue Re-emerges in U.S., Spurring Race for Vaccine, Gayathri Vaidyanathan, The New York Times

by: Stephanie A. Hedean

Photo Courtesy of www.ussoccer.com

I’m being tempted to write about the World Cup, when public-private partnerships are on my mind. A colleague encouraged the correlation between France’s magnificent World Cup collapse and partnerships, while another suggested I should consider the exuberant camaraderie of the Brazilian team as a prime example; still I heard yet another vote for how the USA crew pulled it together after last week’s bum call. Just the word “partnership” can mean and refer to so many different activities and relationships, each with definitions and expectations that vary depending upon what type of stakeholder you are to the partnership matrix. I’m sure that everyone rooting for France considers they are a stakeholder to the partnership that is the World Cup team, along with sponsors, and the team itself.

In the global health non-profit sector, the stakeholder contingents are enormous as we deal with billions of individuals impacted by the causes we pursue, governments and a vast universe of public and private organizations and individuals that are engaged in some way. With so many dynamics in play, how do we go about crafting partnerships that provide for meaningful strategic results based on the fundamental needs of the partners and stakeholders? Now that could be a long discussion.

Let’s start with the “what does it mean to me” test. To create meaningful partner programs, we need to look beyond our own core objectives and shine the light on what that partnership, project, or program fundamentally means to our potential partners and group of stakeholders. And we need to hold ourselves accountable for creating outcomes that work best to satisfy the needs of all parties (within reason is my only caveat) or reevaluate the synergy of the match.

When pursuing partnerships with the private sector we need to have a pretty cohesive understanding of the strategic business interests and success metrics of our partners. Sure, there’s a need and a want to do good, but it’s not really about philanthropy. Our job is to understand what they need to accomplish – increasing shareholder value, growth into new markets, stabilization of an employee base, sourcing resources, branding or pr – in addition to any cause-related goals they may have. So the next time you’re developing a partnership idea or submitting an RFP, think about the other guy’s shoes and ask “what does it mean to me.”

Stephanie Hedean is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. She is also an avid biker, who enjoys biking all over Washington, D.C. with her fellow cyclists.

A paper  released in the January 26^th, 2010 edition of the online peer-reviewed scientific journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, looks at the lack of research and attention given to the NTDs.  Author Dieter Vanderelst,an economist at the University of Antwerp, argues that scientific research into the NTDs lags behind other diseases which have a similar burden around the world. Not only does this disparity exist, but it is likely underestimated.

The researchers write that, “The disproportionally low research interest in NTDs is doubly worrying if one considers that the DALYs associated with NTDs are generally assumed to be underestimated.” DALYs are a public health measurement that takes into account the years of life a person loses due to either illness or death from a specific disease. Although there has been measurable growth in the body of research around the NTDs, this has been largely attributed to the creation of the NTD specific PloS journal.

Similarly, resources for NTDs are growing due to the increased interest in global health and now many new partners are working on cost effective and efficient solutions and interventions.  “It will be necessary for civil society, scientists, and policymakers alike to break this cycle so that some of the most common infections among the 2.7 billion people living on less than US$ 2 per day receive the attention they deserve.” Although progress is being made, there is still a lot of work to be done.

With the release of President Obama’s proposed FY11 budget allocating $155 million towards NTD control and elimination efforts it seems as if the Administration is making NTDs a significant priority. In particular, the Administration is seeking to reduce the prevalence of NTDs globally by 50% within 70% of all of the affected population, eliminate onchocerciasis in Latin America by 2016, eliminate lymphatic filariasis globally by 2017, and eliminate leprosy globally. With this new focus on NTDs, and the associated increase in resources, perhaps the research gap for NTDs will begin to close.

By 2002, OCP and Merck had produced unprecedented results in West Africa – transmission of the infection was halted in 11 countries, 600,000 cases of blindness were prevented, and 22 million West African children were born free from risk of contracting the disease.  These health impacts only begin to hint at the overall difference this program made.  The program has freed 25 million hectares of arable land, enough to feed 17 million people per year.  This increased land area, combined with improved workforce productivity post-treatment, paved the way for an increase of $3.7 billion in agricultural productivity in the region.

River blindness control in West Africa is living proof that public-private partnerships and community directed approaches can free millions from disfiguring and disabling conditions. As we celebrate this progress, we must recognize there is still more to be done. In Côte d’Ivoire—the largest global producer of cocoa—farmers continue to fear the reemergence of black flies that transmit river blindness. Continued investments in NTD control can have a greater impact far beyond health by promoting worker productivity, educational attainment, and better birth outcomes for mothers and children.