Recent news
January 2012
Groups pledge to invest in R&D to tackle NTDs by 2020
January 31, 2012 -- At high-level event in London, a group of international partners announced support for a new plan to address 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2020. At the event, ‘United to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases’, several organizations endorsed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) NTD 2020 Roadmap, which aims to develop new treatments and other health tools to eliminate or control targeted NTDs by 2020. Partners include 13 pharmaceutical companies, the Word Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and GHTC member the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative. The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates also pledged support.
While significant progress has been made developing new drugs to treat NTDs in recent years, there is still a critical gap to fill in developing treatments to address these diseases. The partners in attendance at the event committed to supporting the research and development (R&D) that is necessary to help achieve the goals of the WHO NTD Roadmap by 2020.
“For some NTDs—especially those with the highest death rates such as sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and visceral leishmaniasis—disease control or elimination will only be achievable with further commitments to R&D,” said Dr. Bernard Pécoul, executive director of DNDi in a press release about the event.
A number of initiatives that will help eliminate or control these target NTDs by 2020 were announced at the event. Partners pledged to:
- Sustain or expand existing drug donation programs to meet demand through 2020.
- Share expertise and compounds to accelerate R&D for new drugs.
- Provide more than $785 million to support R&D efforts, as well as to strengthen drug distribution and implementation programs.
To guide the effort against NTDs, the WHO has also released a new strategy to provide guidance on implementation and to set targets for what can be achieved by the end of the decade.
“The efforts of WHO, researchers, partners, and the contributions of industry have changed the face of NTDs. These ancient diseases are now being brought to their knees with stunning speed,” said Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO. She added, “With the boost to this momentum being made today, I am confident almost all of these diseases can be eliminated or controlled by the end of this decade.”
