Countdown on NTDs

Today we received exciting news: Merck is expanding its Mectizan Donation Program to treat up to an additional 100 million people for lymphatic filariasis (LF) every year through 2025. Providing treatment for LF helps those facing disability and social stigma as an outcome of the disease. It empowers individuals and communities. Most importantly, this initiative will save lives and advance our progress to beat NTDs, once and for all. Read more about this important development and spread the word!

Merck Commemorates 30 Years of MECTIZAN® Donation Program Progress | Merck Newsroom Home KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced an expansion of the MECTIZAN® Donation Program (MDP) to reach up to an additional 100 million people per year through 2025 as part of the global effort to eliminate lymphatic fila...

Prof. Margaret Gyapong is to be honoured as a ‘heroine of health’ on Sunday, 21st May 2017. She is one of 12 women selected from around the world to receive this accolade in an organised gala, which is part of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland being held from 22nd – 31st May 2017.

Prof. Gyapong, who leads COUNTDOWN Ghana’s Social Science research expressed she felt very privileged, and honoured to be recognized for doing her work.

“I have been reflecting on my work from 2004 to date. It was not easy being a mother, a wife and a social scientist, in charge of a research centre in the Ministry of health, trying to promote the use of social research methods and the value of Implementation research. I was posted to head a three-room research office (previously used by a District Health Management Team) with four young men with diplomas and two ladies with first degrees. By the Grace of God, the support of my family, my collaborators especially the COUNTDOWN team and the extremely hard working ladies and gentlemen in the Dodowa Health Research Centre, our activities have been recognized globally.” she said.

For the past 24 years, Prof. Gyapong has worked extensively to nurture and improve Operations/ Health Systems and Implementation research capacity among research teams in Ghana, Africa and Asia. She has also worked closely with program Implementers and policy makers in Ghana to ensure that her research leads into policy. Underlying her work, is a focus on championing women’s health and rights. Currently, Prof. Gyapong is bringing the spotlight on putting Female Ge***al Schistosomiasis on the maternal Health Agenda through her research with COUNTDOWN.

This is the first time ever that women are honoured as ‘heroines of health’ for their immense contributions to the global health workforce. According to a study commissioned by The Lancet in 2015, women contribute over $3billion to global health.

To recognize the 12 emerging women leaders in global healthcare, with the first ever “Heroines of Health” honours at this year’s World Health Assembly, Women in Global Health and GE Healthcare joined forces with Women Deliver, the United Nations Foundation, Global Health Council, International Gender Champions, Geneva Graduate Institute, the Government of Sweden, Intrahealth and Frontline Health Workers Coalition for this purpose.

In response to how this award has changed her perspective, Prof. Gyapong said: “Being recognized not locally but internationally when you least expect is a great motivation. Incidentally, I started a new job less than six months ago in a very young university. I went there to help build and raise the profile of the institution. Getting this award is a great encouragement for me to work even harder.”

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The started today in Geneva at WHO's Headquarters. It has been promising thus far with renewed promises to maintain or increase funding for NTDs over the next 5yrs. Commitments have been secured from UK Aid (DFID - Department For International Development) the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Belgium Development Cooperation and Eisai committed to donate DEC until Lymphatic Filariasis is eliminated! Togo was congratulated for eliminating LF and we are all set to .

The Beginning of the End: NTDs Summit 2017 (with images, tweets) · NTDCOUNTDOWN World leaders, leading non-governmental organisations, researchers, policy makers, pharmaceutical companies and funding agencies all gathered today at the World Health Organisation headquarters, in Geneva to start the Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit.

ISNTD Water Conference 1st Nov. 2016 (with images, tweets) · NTDCOUNTDOWN COUNTDOWN was represented at the Water Conference on the 1st Nov. 2016 in London by Suzy Campbell. She presented on integrating WASH to the control and elimination of Soil-transmitted Helminths and Schistosomiasis, using her work experience from Timor-Leste, Cameroon and Ghana.

An update from a fascinating Symposium organised by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, at the University of Glasgow.

A Scottish encounter with tropical diseases By Russell Stothard, I was delighted to be asked to speak at a symposium which formed part of the public engagement activities of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology (WTCMP), at th...

If you are interested in Universal Health Coverage this is the place to be!

Come see COUNTDOWN at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference We're delighted to be attending this year's Prince Mahidol Award Conference which is focussed on the theme of Universal Health Coverage. We'll be represented by Kate Hawkins, Sally Theobald and Lou...

New report! The Ebola outbreak and the wider health system: understanding impact and exploring the way forward in Liberia through the case study of NTDshttp://www.countdownonntds.org/media/1045/liberia-stakeholder-meeting-report-for-countdown-website.pdf

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As countries emerge from the Ebola crisis it is beholden on us as researchers, donors and policy makers to work in solidarity to strengthen health systems and communities which have experienced traumatising and sometimes devastating shocks. Disasters, crises, and revolutions all happen in real life and it is difficult to predict where they might occur. This is not a reason for ceasing operations. Rather implementation research in Liberia (and settings like it) can provide models for the health system response when similar problems emerge elsewhere in Africa.

COUNTDOWN Consortium supports parliamentary enquiry into Ebola | Liverpool School of Tropical... Ebola, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and Liberia To support the Committee, COUNTDOWN, hosted by LSTM, submitted written evidence based on their experience in Liberia. CO…

Wellcome Trust (@wellcometrust) posted a photo on Twitter Get the whole picture - and other photos from Wellcome Trust

UK Members of Parliament voice support for NTD funding at House of Commons Following UK Parliamentary debate, 18 MPs unanimous in their support for funding programs to continue to reach the most marginalized communities. On 27 October 2015, the UK Parliament’s House of Commons held a debate, “Work of the UK in tackling malaria and neglected tropical diseases.” Jeremy Lefro…

Find out what happened at our launch meeting in Cameroon

COUNTDOWN launched in Cameroon on the 9th October 2015 By Russell Stothard This week past has been an exciting and especially busy time for COUNTDOWN with the launch of the programme in Cameroon. The event took place during the afternoon of Friday 9th...

We've been busy at the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) (COR-NTD) meeting and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference!

Update from Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases and the American... By Russell Stothard Several COUNTDOWN staff travelled to Philadelphia, USA to attend two important events, the meetings of the COR-NTD 22-23rd October and the ASTMH 25-29th October. The COR-NTD mee...