Tag Archives: John Kufour

En Garde! The Fight against NTDs Returns to Belgium

Belgium, john a. kufuor, UK government,

 

belgian_senate

Picture by Antoine Motte dit Falisse

The Belgian Foreign Affairs Committee was delighted on Wednesday, June 26th to receive Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network. Neeraj was invited by the Committee to present on the global impact of NTDs and the solutions now available to control or eliminate the seven most common NTDs by the end of the decade. The presentation marked Neeraj’s second visit with the Belgian committee, after he and President Kufuor had lunch with the Foreign Affairs Committee members in March during the Global Network’s winter advocacy trip to Belgium and France.

Belgium has already had an important impact on the fight against NTDs. From 1974 through today, Belgium has consistently contributed to the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) and its successor, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). The OCP and APOC are credited with restoring 25 million hectares of land previously infested with the black flies that transmit onchocerciasis―enough land to feed 17 million people each year!  Belgium is also carrying out a long-term sleeping sickness control program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, investing in public-private partnerships for NTD R&D, and has highlighted the importance of addressing NTDs in its official global health policy note.

The Global Network is delighted to see the Belgian Foreign Affairs Committee take interest in expanding Belgium’s commitments to NTDs, and hopes that we can continue to work together to see the end of these diseases by 2020.

President John Kufuor Visits Capitol Hill

NTDs,

Former President John Kufuor of the Republic of Ghana and Sabin Vaccine Institute CEO Michael Marine on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC

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 .