Intensify cross-cutting approaches

Intensify cross-cutting approaches

Road map Pillar 2

Rod Waddington
© Credits

The road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030 is built on three foundational pillars that will support global efforts to control, eliminate and eradicate neglected tropical diseases.

Pillar 2 refers to intensifying cross-cutting approaches. This can be achieved through:

  1. Integration of interventions for several NTDs and their mainstreaming into national health systems;
  2. Closer coordination with related health programmes (e.g., WASH, vector control and others); and
  3. Intersectoral collaboration beyond the human health sector, notably with environmental and veterinary health, and education.

 

 

 

Area

Rationale

Integrate approaches across NTDs

  • An integrated approach will bring the programmes for NTDs that are endemic in a country onto a single NTD platform, which will allow links among programmes, when practical
  • A single platform will also centralize planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions for several NTDs
  • Integration will change the focus from technical interventions in vertical disease silos to an approach based on the needs of patients and communities
  • An integrated platform will encourage a broader, more holistic approach to include not only prevention but also treatment, care, rehabilitation and health education
  • Examples of integration across NTDs include the preventive chemotherapy approach for the major helminth infections and the skin NTD approach for diseases with cutaneous manifestations
  • Integration can take place within different areas: social mobilization, drug distribution, active case-finding, point-of-care diagnosis, self-care, vector control, etc.

Mainstream delivery platforms within national health systems

  • Actions against NTDs both contribute to and benefit from strengthened health systems and especially primary and community health care.
  • Mainstreaming NTD activities into the health system and building capacity to deliver interventions through its infrastructure will contribute to sustainable, efficient NTD prevention and control and enable NTD patients to access all aspects of treatment, care and support
  • Mainstreaming NTD activities is expected to result in better health outcomes, greater cost efficiency and effectiveness and better programme management
  • NTD activities can be mainstreamed within national health systems at different levels: community interventions, primary care interventions, and secondary care interventions
  • Examples of mainstreaming and collaboration with other health programmes include: mental health, disability and inclusion, women’s and child health, eye health, nutrition, as well as immunization, tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS programmes

Coordinate efforts across sectors

  • The activities of sectors beyond health can significantly contribute to the prevention, treatment and care of many NTDs
  • Meeting the 2030 targets for NTDs will require coordination among adjacent sectors in the broader NTD network; it will be essential for the health ministry to coordinate with other ministries and authorities
  • Examples of inter-sectoral collaboration include: water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); agriculture, environment, livestock, wildlife (One Health approach); education; justice and social welfare; infrastructure and the built environment; food safety