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40 THIRD WHO REPORT ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
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Indeed, the investment targets outlined in this report imply additional investments of
about US$ 450 million on average per year during 2015–2020 for preventive chemotherapy
and treatment and care, of which about US$ 390 million will have to be invested on average
per year in low- and lower-middle-income countries. It is important to emphasize that these
numbers do not include investments in vector control. When vector control is included,
additional investment in universal coverage against NTDs will likely have to exceed
US$ 1 billion per year until 2030.
Again, many endemic countries do not yet have a clear understanding of how much (or
little) domestic investment is currently directed towards universal coverage against NTDs.
Part of the reason is that public investments in health systems are harder to attribute to
individual diseases or interventions than are vertical foreign aid projects. As discussed
earlier in this chapter, WHO is working with countries to track actual expenditures on
NTDs through the WHO Health Accounts Country Platform. At the time of publication,
about US$ 100 million in NTD expenditures were being tracked in five endemic countries;
many more countries are expected in the coming years.
In the meantime, an important first step is ensuring that the NTD interventions outlined
in this report – both prevention and treatment and care – are given high priority in the
context of UHC reform. Their inclusion within UHC benefit packages will be affordable and
fair. It is hoped that the analyses undertaken for this report will help country programmes to
identify opportunities for domestic investment in universal coverage against NTDs. Clearly,
however, there is still scope for refinement and adaptation.
WHO will continue to provide technical assistance to countries for developing investment
targets that meet their needs. Country-specific investment targets may facilitate discussion
between ministries of health and ministries of finance in developing health sector plans
and budgets, particularly within the context of UHC reform. They may also inform
innovative financing mechanisms, by helping governments, development partners, impact
investors and delivery partners to agree on the scale and scope of the investment required
and, as appropriate, a reasonable return for the results that are delivered.
WHO can further assist countries in moving forward with their investment strategies
with cost-effectiveness and multi-criteria approaches to priority-setting for UHC; planning,
budgeting and resource-tracking; monitoring innovative financing mechanisms; and
programme evaluation, not least in terms of the socioeconomic impact of progress made
towards universal coverage against NTDs.
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REFERENCES
1. Humanity divided: confronting inequality in developing countries. New York (NY): United Nations Development
Programme; 2013 (http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/humanity-dividedconfronting-inequality-in-developing-countries.html;
accessed November 2014).
2. Middle income countries overview [web page]. Washington (DC): World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/
mic/overview; accessed December 2014).