Category Archives: g8

NTDs and the G8: The 2013 Summit in Review

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Safely sheltered from the outside world by police barricades and (possibly) a Protego Maxima charm (See “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”), the 2013 G8 Summit concluded quietly on Tuesday with the release of the Lough Erne Communiqué.

Perhaps the Summit was a little too unreachable though; disappointingly, NTDs were unable to penetrate the G8’s discussions this year. Instead, David Cameron’s three T’s―tax, trade and transparency―dominated the agenda. While these issues will surely help alleviate global poverty, the G8 missed a prime opportunity to build on previous discussions to tackle these diseases that perpetuate poverty and inequality.

It’s not all bad news though―NTDs got at least some love from the G8.

As I wrote last week, the Global Network was pleased to see NTDs included in the 2013 G8 Accountability Report, although there is still much to be desired in terms of G8 accountability. The G8 has lived up to some of its big talk on NTDs, especially by increasing public funding for R&D, but its promise to reach at least 75 percent of people infected with NTDs in endemic countries has remained neglected.

Additionally, the “Nutrition for Growth” event successfully brought together 94 government, business and scientific organizations who committed $4.15 billion through 2020 to fight undernutrition. The Global Network celebrates these commitments and commends GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for highlighting the important link between NTDs and food security at the event. GSK is a vital partner in the fight against NTDs and previously committed to supplying all the medication needed to eliminate lymphatic filariasis by 2020.

Moving forward, we now look to Russia, who will host both the 2013 G20 Summit this July and the 2014 G8 Summit next summer. Hopefully the G8 will seriously consider its previous global health commitments over the next year, including its commitments to NTDs. Until then, you can read more about how the G8 can act now to control NTDs in our G8 Call to Action.

Nutrition and NTD Treatment: A Recipe for Growth

g8, nutrition

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On June 17-18 in Northern Ireland, leaders of the G8 will meet to discuss global priorities for the coming year.  Under the leadership of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the 2013 G8 Summit discussion topics include advancing trade, increasing tax compliance and improving global transparency.  Though they are tasked with a long list of action items, these leaders should continue to prioritize human rights and global development issues, most pressing of which is global hunger.

To catch the G8’s attention, the UK government (led by its Department for International Development), the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Brazilian Government will co-host a hunger summit titled “Nutrition for Growth”.  Set for tomorrow, June 8, this high-level event will bring together business leaders, scientists, governments and civil society to make political and financial commitments towards improving nutrition worldwide.  Through proper nutrition, kids will be able to grow physically and mentally like they should, and pregnant women will be able to keep themselves and their babies safe (also like they should).

However, if the world really wants to get serious about ensuring that everyone can access proper nutrition, we need to look beyond food and recognize that malnutrition is also caused by disease. Specifically, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have a big nutritional impact on the millions of women and children they afflict around the world.

NTDs infect one in six people, including more than half a billion children, and undermine the effects of good nutrition.   Even if children have enough to eat, parasitic worm infections (namely roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and schistosoma haematobium – the nutrient-eating parasite that causes schistosomiasis) deprive them of key nutrients essential for growth and development.  Recognizing NTDs as a cause of malnutrition is important for achieving better nutrition.

But recognition is not enough.

Global leaders need to create actionable strategies to combat NTDs and hunger.  Following on the heels of the Nutrition for Growth event, the G8 Summit is poised to promote this cause. The tools to control and eliminate NTDs have already been developed in an affordable form; a packet of pills can treat one person against seven of the most common NTDs for one year.  At a cost of just 50 cents per person annually, treatment of NTDs is cost-efficient and is considered one of the “best buys” in public health.  Especially considering the current economic climate, this safe, efficacious and high impact treatment is worthy of global attention.

With pressure from the Nutrition for Growth event, the IF Campaign and concerned citizens like you and me, the end of hunger and malnutrition is attainable.  As pressure is kept on global leaders in the run up to the G8 Summit, we hope that the global community can continue to work together to create a comprehensive approach to food security and good nutrition―one that includes eliminating NTDs as a public health threat once and for all.

Tell Members of the G8 to Prioritize Disease Prevention!

g8, NTDs, vaccines

For the past week, the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases have been working with a group of organizations to raise awareness of specific issues – such as global health, nutrition, the environment and corruption – in advance of the G8.

Sabin Executive Vice President, Dr. Ciro de Quadros and Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, both contributed articles to the Huffington Post as a part of this effort, urging G8 member countries to prioritize prevention of diseases impacting those living in poverty around the world.

You can read the articles by clicking the links below.

Four Preventable Diseases G8 Leaders Should Keep in Mind by Dr. Ciro de Quadros

Elephantiasis, Snail Fever, Roundworm, More: Eliminating 7 Neglected Diseases that Affect World’s Poorest by 2020 by Dr. Neeraj Mistry

We hope you’ll continue to help us spread the word and work to encourage members of the G8 to focus on preventing diseases of poverty by sharing these articles via email, social media and word of mouth.

Even better, you can now record your own video message to G8 leaders via this link on the Huffington Post.  So get out your webcam and share 10 seconds of your time with our world leaders!