By: Alanna Shaikh
Last week I mentioned briefly that poverty is a major factor in the spread of NTDs. It’s not the only non-medical factor that contributes to the damage done by NTDs. One thing that’s rarely mentioned in relation to NTDS – but matters a lot – is governance. Rule of law, effective government, and transparency are important to the fight against NTDs. You don’t get those from a mass drug administration, unfortunately.
Effective government starts with health system strength – having enough trained personnel, sufficient infrastructure, good data, and enough money to provide health care and support health. But the effective government needed to support health programs goes beyond the health sector. You need to be able to collect taxes or manage donor money to fund all services, including health. And you need a Ministry of Finance capable of moving the money in ways that work.
» Read more: Governance and NTDs
