Nairobi — The Ministry of Health will spend Sh2.2 billion in the next financial year to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Permanent Secretary Susan Mochache said Monday that funds will play a critical role in efforts to mitigate the effects of these diseases in the development and the scale-up of Universal Health Coverage(UHC).

"My ministry, speaking on behalf of my minister, will continue to engage the county governments to ensure that they too, using their own allocations, prioritize the allocated resources, particularly for counties where NTDs are endemic," she said Monday during the 10th anniversary of the END FUND - a private philanthropic initiative solely dedicated to ending the most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs),

Mochache said that the ministry of health will collaborate with counties in efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases.

The Health PS further acknowledged that her office is aiming at mainstreaming the Noncommunicable diseases(NCDs) to Kenyans for the creation of awareness of the diseases.

"We are also looking at mainstreaming the NCDs into our community health strategies. Our Universal Health Coverage is premised around unity health care," she said.

Mochache expressed confidence on the possibility of bringing an end to the neglected tropical diseases on the vision 2030 journey.

NTDs include several parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases that cause substantial illness for more than one billion people globally, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC says, NTDs impair physical and cognitive development, contribute to mother and child illness and death, make it difficult to farm or earn a living, and limit productivity in the workplace.

Present at the event were representatives from END fund, WHO, Council of Governors among others.