Recently, the UK Department of International Development (DFID) announced a £25 million grant for Imperial’s Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, which will pay for 75 million treatments against intestinal worms and schistosomiasis in Niger and Uganda as well as expand the work nationally in Tanzania and Zambia and will help begin programmes in four more countries.
The Center for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNTD) is a partner in the consortium that is recieving the funds and according to the press release:
“In line with the government‘s push to make aid deliver better results, the consortium will safeguard the distribution of drugs and make sure they reach those most in need by providing aid only once agreed milestones have been met. Staff will be trained in the recipient countries to work within high risk communities. The US government recently committed additional funding to neglected tropical diseases. The SCI, CNTD and USAID supported programmes will help integrate treatment across the targeted countries. The consortium will work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help recipient countries prepare national plans for the sustainable control of all neglected diseases, and with ministries of health or national partners to train staff to distribute drugs in communities that need them the most.”
Read the full press release here
