International Conference on NTD Research in Africa | Rwanda 2025
The GSA, together with Unlimit Health, The END Fund, RBC, Ministry of Health Kenya, Health Campaigns Effectiveness coalition and UNICEF organised the Technical Symposium of the conference, focusing on health systems integration for schistosomiasis and other NTDs, chaired by GSA Director David Rollinson and Dr Fiona Fleming Director of Research and Innovation at Unlimit Health. The Technical symposium introduced perspectives on integrated health interventions delivery and shared two case studies, one in Uganda and one in Rwanda. The discussion focused on:
- What factors drive the success of integration?
- Understanding these factors what processes need to be developed to successfully integrate NTD services into existing delivery platforms
- How can the impact of integrated approaches be monitored to ensure progress to global goals is being captured?
- What are the perspectives of partners, funders and large-scale agencies of integrated, co-delivery approaches?
Underscoring these discussions, the following talks were presented by our colleagues and partners:
- Prudence Beinamaryo, Uganda MoH: Codelivery of schistosomiasis with Child Health Day campaign in Uganda
- Recording - Kris Saarlas, HCE Coalition Director: Health Campaigns Effectiveness coalition - changing a fragmented health campaign ecosystem
- Dr Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, MoH & RBC Rwanda - Coordinating NTDs with malaria and Child Health Weeks in Rwanda
- Carlos Torres Vitolas, Unlimit Health - Measuring metrics of integrated approaches - Uganda research in progress
- Julia Battle, Chief of Health and Nutrition, UNICEF Rwanda Country Office - A partner’s perspective on integrated, codelivery campaigns.
In the afternoon, the GSA team attended the breakout session on Schistosomiasis and Soil-transmitted helminthiasis, bringing together the areas of low prevalence, impact assessments, surveillance and hotspots, which led to many fruitful discussions and ideas on monitoring and evaluation and surveillance; and response approaches in low prevalence settings.
We particularly enjoyed catching up with so many GSA members as well as meeting new friends. In the evening, we enjoyed a wonderful reception and celebration of ARNTD 10-year anniversary.
On Day 2, we started by hosting an important breakout session on Rethinking MDA campaigns: Leveraging integrated health campaigns for improved effectiveness and impact – Read the report.
The session examined different models for delivering preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis and other NTDs, leveraging existing health platforms. This included group activities aimed at identifying factors that contribute to the success, or otherwise, of integration strategies, explored the metrics and monitoring processes required to track progress on health deliverables, and considered the policy recommendations and health system strengthening approaches required to enable the development and uptake of integrated health campaigns that address PC-NTDs. Three talks framed the discussions:
- A paradigm-shift from parallel, top-down, vertical disease control programmes to integrated, locally relevant, evidence-based and sustainable health campaigns. Example of helminth treatments with malaria chemoprevention in West Africa’ by Dr Muhammed Afolabi, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
- Integrating NTD processes into a national electronic community health system (eCHIS) and Ministry of Health Integrated Campaign Delivery (ICD) platform in Kenya by Florence Wakesho MoH Kenya.
- Approaching integration and codelivery using a sustainability lens by Wendy Harrison, Unlimit Health.
The breakout groups looked at the following three questions:
- Activity 1: What do we know about integrated PC codelivery approaches?
- Activity 2: What are the metrics for evaluating integrated co-delivery progress in health
- programs?
- Activity 3: What do we need to strengthen integration and codelivery for sustainable
- public health interventions?
The breakout session aimed to pinpoint the critical implementation and operational research questions needed to strengthen SCH, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), and NTD integration and coordination with national and sub-national health campaigns. The outcome is to help identify areas for improvement, enhance programme impact, and ensure effective progress tracking of health outcomes. Read the report.
We were also delighted to see some excellent work presented at the Innovation Lab - watch the recording here
- ARISE Minimum Package for Behaviour Change from NALA,
- Akinola Oluwole on FGS training materials from Sightsavers,
- ESPEN’s new innovations, GenAi
- Kenya and Rwanda work to integrate NTDs into electronic community health database and
- The Tally Counter
- And more
The poster session was a great highlight of Day 3. The posters were very concise and informative, it was great to see diverse range of exciting research on NTDs.
Folloing this the GSA group attended a workshop on sustainable financing and advocacy where we learnt about, and practiced using, a toolkit from The Task Force for Global Health - Pathways – Guide to advocate for NTD elimination.
At the closing ceremony, we were delighted to see Professor Humphrey Mazigo awarded the Kyleme Prize for emerging leaders in recognition of his support and mentorship to early career researchers in Africa and for his work on schistosomiasis and FGS.
At the end of the three days there was a buzz in the air, and a call for partners to help make InCORNTD an annual NTD Research in Africa event, creating a galvanizing forum for NTD research in Africa.