Last week, Mr. John Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana (2001-2009) and the Global Network’s Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Special Envoy, traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress in order to continue to raise awareness of the impact of NTDs.

President Kufuor met with Senator John Boozman of Arkansas and Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, two members of the Senate Malaria Working Group who are known champions of global health.  Senator Boozman has an impressive record of supporting global health issues and previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he spearheaded the formation of Congressional Caucus on Malaria and NTDs with the late Donald Payne.   Senator Inhofe, a friend and colleague of President Kufuor, has visited the continent of Africa many times and currently serves on the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs.

Both Senators showed interest in continuing to press the NTD agenda forward and raise awareness among their colleagues. President Kufuor emphasized the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in NTD control, especially through the successful USAID NTD Program, which has treated and improved the health of more than 250 million people since fiscal year 2006.

We’re thankful for the support of global health advocates like Senators Boozman and Inhofe, as their voices are integral to our work to eliminate the seven most common NTDs.

To view more photos from President Kufuor’s visit to Capitol Hill, please check out the .