By Yacine Djibo, Executive Director, Speak Up Africa
For decades, global donors and development institutions shaped the agenda for NTD elimination. Today, that dynamic is changing. Across the continent, African leaders, communities, and advocates are stepping forward with bold, locally driven efforts to put an end to these diseases.
Africa carries 40% of the global burden of NTDs, a group of 20 infectious diseases that flourish in areas with poor sanitation, unsafe water, and limited healthcare access. These same areas are now increasingly exposed to the effects of climate change, with rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events increasing the risk of transmission. This is not a standalone health issue. It is a converging crisis that cuts across health, climate, and development.
NTDs cause significant suffering. They result in physical and cognitive disabilities, social stigma, and economic loss. Trachoma is still the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Schistosomiasis can cause female genital disease and infertility. These diseases reinforce cycles of poverty, particularly for women and children.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of meaningful progress. In several countries, governments are beginning to prioritize NTDs, and community-led efforts are gaining visibility. While local leadership is not yet the standard everywhere, it is growing stronger and more organized. The shift toward greater national ownership is underway, though much remains to be done to sustain and scale it.
A new generation of champions is emerging. They include women’s rights advocates, youth leaders, doctors, journalists, athletes, and artists. Their voices are helping to shift the narrative around NTDs by placing lived experience and community leadership at the center of response strategies.
At Speak Up Africa, we believe that meaningful change must come from within. Working alongside the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), we have invested in empowering these champions to influence policy, mobilize resources, and build lasting national movements to eliminate NTDs.
Local Leadership for Local Impact
In Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Senegal, national champion networks supported by Speak Up Africa and CIFF are demonstrating the value of locally led advocacy. Composed of youth leaders, parliamentarians, journalists, artists, health professionals, and private sector figures, these champions are helping to elevate neglected tropical diseases on national agendas.
In Senegal, champions worked with parliamentarians to elevate NTDs in legislative discussions. In Burkina Faso, a public commitment by the Minister of Health to increase domestic funding marked a key step forward. In Ethiopia, champions helped shape a national research symposium and partnered with government communications teams to amplify public messaging. In Kenya, youth advocates revived the Kenya Youth Against NTDs network and engaged county officials to advance policy dialogue and local investment.
Strategic communications have amplified their influence. More than 20 public declarations were issued, and coordinated media outreach including national television coverage and published articles reached over 40,000 people. Together, these activities are helping to shift both perception and policy.
Youth engagement has added new energy to the movement. In Kenya, the World NTD Cup used football to promote health education and community awareness, drawing support from the Cabinet Secretary for Health. In Senegal, a partnership with the Basketball Africa League (BAL) led to the launch of the Young NTD Champions Club, a platform that equips young athletes to take on leadership roles in advocacy.
These examples reflect more than isolated successes. They signal a broader shift toward national ownership, where local champions are building momentum that can outlast any single campaign.
Why We Need Local Action
NTDs may be labelled “neglected,” but our response must never be. The progress we are making is proof that with the right voices, structures, and support, elimination is within reach. But we must stay the course and accelerate.
We need national health budgets to consistently allocate and protect funding for NTD interventions, including mass drug administration, disability services, and vector control. We must ensure that NTDs are integrated into climate adaptation plans, particularly in water protection and sanitation infrastructure. Regionally, procurement policies must be harmonized so that medicines and diagnostics can move swiftly where they are needed. And public-private partnerships must become a cornerstone of our strategies to scale impact.
Our champions, courageous, committed, and deeply connected to their communities, are at the heart of this movement. Their stories are shifting perceptions. Their actions are moving resources. And their leadership is redefining what is possible.
Together, we will eliminate NTDs in Africa.
