Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
It is a pleasure to be with you today and to welcome you all to WHO.
Neglected tropical diseases are an issue of great personal importance to me, because I began my research career working on schistosomiasis and human African trypanosomiasis, before moving into malaria research.
This gathering illustrates what WHO is all about - partners coming together to leverage their collective strength to address global health challenges that none of us could address alone.
A multifaceted challenge like neglected tropical diseases takes a multifaceted approach, and that is what we bring together.
And together, we have much to be proud of in our fight against NTDs.
Since the beginning of last year, 13 countries have been validated or certified for eliminating a neglected tropical disease: Bangladesh, Benin, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Lao PDR, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Uganda and Vanuatu.
And as you know, we now stand on the threshold of eradicating Guinea worm.
When the Guinea Worm Eradication Program began in 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million human cases in 21 countries. Last year, just 13 cases were reported from four countries.
This incredible achievement is thanks in no small part to the leadership and partnership of President Jimmy Carter, to whom we all owe great gratitude and respect.
I would also like to take this opportunity to send my best wishes to First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who was diagnosed with dementia just a couple of weeks ago.
So in the fight against NTDs, we have many reasons for celebration, and for optimism. But our work is not done, and we still face many challenges.
To meet these challenges, me must do more of what we know works, which is to work together even more closely, and to bring more coherence to our work.
The 2030 NTD road map gives us a clear direction, a clear mandate and a clear opportunity to alleviate suffering for more than a billion people.
And our work against NTDs bears fruit in many other areas of health.
The infrastructure and capacities we build for NTDs take us further down the road towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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NTD interventions reach the poorest, the most remote and the most isolated communities in the world, and are often the only contact these communities have with established health services.
The everyday heroes who plan and deliver these interventions are contributors to the achievement of many other SDGs - from inequality to clean water and sanitation to innovation and sustainability.
NTD interventions are a bridge that brings millions closer to health. The work you do as a community helps to build and maintain that bridge every single day.
Of course, we can always make that bridge stronger, and wider. In particular, as we move forward together I urge all partners to focus on making the three strategic shifts outlined in the Global NTD Road Map:
First, to shift from process to impact, for higher accountability and a more holistic approach to address health needs;
Second, to shift from disease-specific approaches towards integration, mainstreaming within national health systems and cross-cutting interventions;
And third, to shift from externally-driven programmes towards greater country ownership, to boost the viability and sustainability of NTD programmes.
Thank you all again for all of your commitment and my very best wishes for an engaging and fruitful meeting.
I thank you.
