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64 THIRD WHO REPORT ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
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with the human right to health. In 2011, resolution WHA64/24 on drinking-water, sanitation
and health called for the formulation of a new, integrated WHO strategy, including a specific
focus on water quality and monitoring issues, and on promotion of sanitation and hygiene
behaviour. Resolution WHA66/12 on NTDs urged Member States to “improve coordination
for reducing transmission and strengthening control of neglected tropical diseases taking
into account social determinants of health, through provision of safe drinking-water, basic
sanitation, health promotion and education, vector control and veterinary public health”.
Efforts are under way to define the drinking-water and sanitation targets under a dedicated
Water Goal as part of the SDGs, which will set the agenda for development and sustainability
starting in 2015. Furthermore, efforts are being made to ensure that other SDGs, for example
those on health and nutrition, include targets and/or indicators on WASH as determinants of
health and nutrition.
3.6 Priority areas for NTD research
New approaches and simplified strategies are urgently needed to control NTDs. Research is
critical to this objective, from basic research to finding new ways to deploy existing tools and
strategies where they are needed most.
To ensure that country needs are being addressed, the identification of research priorities
should be embedded at the national level. The 2013 World Health Report on research for
universal health coverage called for all nations to be producers as well as consumers of research.
WHO is encouraging national governments and international donors to invest in research and
support mechanisms for sharing information and data, and in strengthening research training
and institutions.
Although basic research and improved methods can be assisted by northern institutions,
research on implementing these new and improved tools must be done in country, and the
capacity to do so must be built.
3.6.1 Generating basic knowledge
For many NTDs, there is a pressing need to go back to the drawing board using state-of-theart
tools of genomics or molecular biology to understand the pathogenesis of the disease. This
could help to identify new avenues for research and development.
For example, understanding the pathogenic process of Chagas disease as an auto-immune
process would obviate the need to further develop the current treatment of chemotherapy
focused on the parasite. Sequencing the T. brucei genome for human African trypanosomiasis
or improving the understanding of cell–parasite interactions in leishmaniases has key
implications for drug development.