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THE RESOLUTION AND THE ROADMAP − CHAPTER 1
1
THE RESOLUTION
AND THE ROADMAP:
PROGRESS TOWARDS TARGETS
In May 2013, the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA66.12, a
testimony of the global resolve to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate neglected tropical
diseases through planned interventions.
Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) published its second report on neglected
tropical diseases in January 2013. Sustaining the drive to overcome the global impact of
neglected tropical diseases described how renewed momentum had shifted the world closer
to eliminating many of these diseases and conditions and largely improved prospects for
achieving universal health coverage (UHC). 1 That report called for yet stronger political
will, financial and resource planning, and research and development of new diagnostics to
implement control programmes at an accelerated rate.
This third report charts new ground.
In May 2013, the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA66.12 on
neglected tropical diseases (“the Resolution”), a testimony of the global resolve to prevent,
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1
The term “universal health coverage” is defined by WHO as “ensuring that all people can use the promotive, preventive,
curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that
the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.” (http://www.who.int/health_financing/en/). The
three dimensions of the so-called “UHC cube” are: (i) extending coverage to individuals who previously were not covered;
(ii) extending coverage to services that previously were not covered; or (iii) reducing direct payments needed for each
service.