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2 THIRD WHO REPORT ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
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control, eliminate and eradicate these diseases through planned interventions. This landmark
resolution on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) recognizes that increased investments have
improved the health and social well-being of populations in many countries.
The Resolution acknowledges, among other things, the need for adequately resourced
national programmes working within various ministries as well as with other sectors to
provide for an uninterrupted supply and delivery of quality-assured services. To ensure that the
Resolution has greatest impact, partners, stakeholders and academia are encouraged to work
together to advocate the importance of implementation and to generate further momentum
for transforming its recommendations into reality. Annex 1a lists the resolutions of the
World Health Assembly concerning neglected tropical diseases and Annex 1b reproduces the
Resolution in full.
Accelerating work to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases: a roadmap
for implementation (“the Roadmap”) (1) was formulated in 2011 by WHO and its Strategic
and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases and endorsed in 2012 by
signatories to the London Declaration on neglected tropical diseases (“the London Declaration”)
(2) committed to facilitating its implementation. The Roadmap underpins the Resolution. Two
targets are set for the eradication of dracunculiasis (2015) and yaws (2020), six targets for the
global elimination of five diseases (2015) and 10 targets for the elimination either globally or
in selected geographical areas of nine diseases (2020). Annex 2 captures the Roadmap’s targets
“at a glance”.
1.1 Building on commitments
Major donors have continued to provide resources beyond the initial commitments
announced during the London Declaration meetings in order to sustain and expand disease
control programmes. Their support remains crucial to funding the implementation of
programmes. Pledges from new partners and philanthropic organizations have added optimism
to renewed global momentum against NTDs. These “Cinderella diseases”, long ignored and
underappreciated, were characterized by WHO in its second report as a “rags to riches” story.
In April 2014, during an event hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to mark the second
anniversary of the London Declaration, several additional donors made new commitments
amounting to more than US$ 112 million. Partners, donors and the pharmaceutical industry
have committed themselves to addressing a large proportion of the “size of the problem”. This
commitment paves the way for long-term planning and the distribution of quality-assured
medicines free of charge to millions more people living in low- and middle-income countries.
The World Bank has committed US$ 120 million from its International Development
Association (the fund for the poorest countries) to control and elimination of NTDs in lowincome
countries in Africa. It is also working to encourage addressing these problems not only