by Caroline Harper, Sightsavers Chief Executive

                                                         

It is always important to celebrate progress, especially in these times when economic gloom is all around, and many of the newspapers (certainly in the UK) are filled with exhortations to cut aid in times of austerity.    The celebration on Capitol Hill on September 19^th reminded us of just what can be achieved when people from different sectors pull together, apply determination and get the support that is needed.

I was really pleased to be asked to be the master of ceremonies at the an event last week which brought together people working in Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), particularly from USAID, pharma companies, WHO and NGOs, to recognise some NTD champions from endemic countries, and to thank Congress for supporting NTD work.       It was good to see DFID represented too – they pledged £245 million to supporting NTD work earlier this year, an excellent decision!

It was great to hear Senators and Congressmen (although I confess as a Brit I managed to promote one of the Congressmen to Senator….) all speaking about the difference NTD work has made.   The Honourable Patrick Leahy was the main speaker, and he clearly spoke from the heart.   The Honourable Chris Coons announced that the Senate Caucus on Malaria would now be expanded to include NTDs.   This mirrors similar decisions made in Congress and in the UK, where malaria groups have embraced NTDs – and is another example of collaborative working which should keep NTDs in the limelight. Continue reading →

Meeting My “Daughter” in Niger
September 12, 2012 | Posted by Maggie Jacoby
An inside look into HKI’s trachoma control activities in Niger and Mali.
Ladies

Post by Emily Toubali, HKI’s Program Manager of Neglected Tropical Disease Control. Photos by Emily Toubali and Aryc Mosher.

Amina Nouhou lived for over 20 years with the searing pain of trichiasis, the final stage of the blinding disease of trachoma. Each time she blinked, the eyelashes of her left eye scraped her cornea. I cannot even begin to imagine the extreme discomfort she silently endured each day. She woke up, cleaned her house, and cooked meals for her family, in constant suffering from this excruciating condition.

I met Amina one hot, dusty morning in Niger at a surgical camp HKI and the Ministry of Health had set up to perform eyelid surgery to reverse the ravages of trichiasis. Amina arrived very early in the morning, accompanied by her son. I introduced myself to her and told her my husband is Nigerien, and his first name was her last name. She immediately responded that I must be her mother since, in the Hausa culture, a father’s first name is passed along to his children as their last name. We were officially bonded.

Read the rest of Emily’s post here on HKI’s blog Seed to Sight

On September 19^th, USAID and more than 40 non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, global health and civil society groups, and pharmaceutical companies gathered in the Russell Senate Office Building to celebrate the numerous successful partnerships that have led to advances in NTD treatment and control.

Our own Dr. Neeraj Mistry helped to kick off the event “Celebrating an Untold Story of Success: Global Partnerships in the Fight against NTDs” by sharing the END7 Campaign’s “Mission in a Minute” video, which is part of the Global Network’s effort to raise public awareness about the seven most common NTDs.

We were delighted to see so many members of Congress attend and show their support.  Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) announced the exciting news that the Senate Malaria Working Group would add NTDs to their agenda. Guests also heard remarks from Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), a long-time global health advocate, who was an honorary host of the event, as well as Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Malaria and NTDs.

USAID’s Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah thanked all partners for their unwavering commitment to improving the health and wellness of the world’s most underserved populations and emphasized the incredible accomplishments achieved through public-private partnerships.

In a highlight of the event, Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID, honored and recognized four special guests for their leadership in controlling and eliminating NTDs:

• Dr. Nana Biritwum, National NTD Coordinator, Ministry of Health, Ghana
• Dr. Mwele Malecela, Director General of National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania
• Dr. Uche Amazigo, retired Director of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control
• Dr. Adetokunbo “Ade” Lucas, Founding Director of WHO’s Special Program for Research, Training in Tropical Diseases

Dr. Lorenzo Savioli, Director, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, also reiterated the major themes of the night – the power of partnerships and the achievable goal of NTD elimination.

Stay tuned! Coming soon to End the Neglect will be another perspective on this celebratory event from Caroline Harper, CEO of Sightsavers, who served as a wonderful MC for the night.