Accra, 25 June 2012 -- Ghana's Health Minister, Mr. Albin Bagbin, has called on African countries to support interventions to address Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and improve coordination among all stakeholders in implementing NTD programmes.

Making the call in Accra on Monday while opening a three-day Regional Stakeholders' Consultative Meeting on NTDs, the Health Minister said that endemic countries should capitalize on the new momentum by the international community to tackle NTDs by contributing to improved and extended national coverage of control and elimination activities.

The Minister added that it was in this light that the Ghanaian government planned to contribute about US$1 million towards the prevention and control of endemic NTDs in order to protect the gains made by the country in Guinea Worm eradication and the elimination of trachoma.

He noted that in recent times, there had been a phenomenal increase in advocacy and awareness on NTDs well as improved support for programme implementation, but warned that these could only be sustained through country ownership of such campaigns.

Hon. Bagbin paid tribute to WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan and the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, for raising the profile of NTDs as causes of poverty and under-development in the region.

In his address, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, represented by the WHO Representative in Ghana, Dr Idrissa Sow, said that the current estimate of financial resource requirements for NTD programme implementation for the next five years in the African Region stood at about US$1.5 billion.

"This calls for new commitments and delivery on pledges made at the London event by all stakeholders," he said, adding: "Countries should commit to transparency in programme management and information sharing, ensure ownership of programmes and commit themselves to accelerating interventions.

The Regional Director stated that the momentum to control and eliminate targeted NTDs had accentuated the need for stronger leadership and better coordination, indicating that WHO had responded to this by defining four strategic areas.

These are strengthening government ownership coordination, advocacy and partnership; enhancing planning for results, resource mobilization and financial sustainability of national programmes; scaling up access tio interventions, treatment and service delivery capacities; and enhancing monitoring, surveillance and operational research.

On the role played by partners and other stakeholders in the fight against NTDs, Dr Sambo said: "I wish to use this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions and commitments made by donors, NDGOs and Pharmaceuticals towards the reduction of the burden of NTDs within the African Region. The commitment of all countries, experts and research community to control and elimination of NTDs cannot to underplayed. With such massive support and commitment from stakeholders we are set towards making NTDs history in the African Region."

The Regional Director pledged WHO's commitment to strengthening platforms and creating an enabling environment for accelerating the implementtiuon of NTD programmes in the region and urged the meeting to come up with new insights on how to effectively scale up the implementation of NTD programmes.

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For more information, please contact:

Dr Idrissa Sow, WHO Representative, Accra, Ghana; Tel: 0544310775; Email: sowi [at] gh.afro.who.int

Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi; Tel: 0544310775; Email: owusu-antwif [at] gh.afro.who.int; Tel: 0244311172

Dr. Onyeze Adiele; Tel: +47 241 39 161 Fax: +47 241 39 503Email: onyezea [at] afro.who.int

Samuel T. Ajibola; Tel 0203928687; Email: ajibolas [at] afro.who.int

Soulaymane Kone, Tel:0540926974 Email: soulaymanek [at] ci.afro.who.int