Africa, Time is Now to End Malaria, Neglected Tropical Diseases!

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and malaria have caused suffering to communities worldwide, especially in Africa. NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins. More than a billion people are affected by NTDs diseases globally, and Africa accounts for nearly 40% (400 million people) of the global burden.

At least 600,000 people are still being killed every year by malaria alone, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa. 

World leaders have begun the process of committing to and endorsing the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The declaration is a high-level statement meant to mobilise the necessary political will, community commitment, financial resources, and individual action to end NTDs.

The Kigali Declaration has been launched at the Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs, held on the sidelines of this month's 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda. In Kigali, global leaders, led by African Heads of State, announced the first in a series of pledges to accelerate progress against malaria and NTDs. The summit featured commitments totalling more than U.S.$4 billion including funding from governments, international organisations, philanthropists, and private sector support. In addition, 18 billion tablets have been donated by pharmaceutical companies for preventing and treating NTDs.