English - Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

REPORT OF THE 6 TH GAELF MEETING, JUNE 2010
Partnership, an example of a successful
regional effort to address NTDs. The
partnership includes the Global Network,
the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB) and the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO), as well as private
foundations and governments in affected
countries. Early lessons learned from LAC
include the need for strong partnerships
and regional stakeholders; the essential
role of governments; the advantages of
advocating for integration of NTD control
and elimination efforts with other
initiatives, such as sanitation and housing;
and the necessity of having good data to
successfully mobilize resources.
Looking forward to the next 10 years, Dr
Lammie made several points. The NTD
message has been very effective, and it
has provided a low-cost, high-impact
intervention for the “bottom billion.” The
current global health landscape is both
complex and competitive; donors are
looking for integration and harmonisation
on a much broader platform than NTDs
alone. Successful advocacy is issueoriented,
tailored to the interests of
specific donors and partners. Nothing is
more important than morbidity
management – yet efforts to address
morbidity have lagged behind. We need
new partnerships with organizations
focused on integrated morbidity
management.
Dr Lammie highlighted the need to
address several issues related to
programme integration, including NTD
surveillance and vector control, the role of
water and sanitation, and completion of
NTD mapping. He encouraged the
audience to share their stories of success
and their data, and he concluded with a
positive message: Advocacy works.
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