Planet under Pressure
The 2020s are the make-or-break decade for Sustainability. But Covid-19 questions almost everything. How can we handle increasingly frequent shocks? What can a resilient society and economy that is in line with planetary boundaries look like? These and many other questions are discussed in the new 2020 edition of the Global Goals Yearbook titled “Planet under Pressure”. The Yearbook supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is one of the publications in strong international demand.
The 2020s are the make-or-break decade for Sustainability. But Covid-19 questions almost everything. How can we handle increasingly frequent shocks? What can a resilient society and economy that is in line with planetary boundaries look like? These and many other questions are discussed in the new 2020 edition of the Global Goals Yearbook titled “Planet under Pressure”. The Yearbook supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is one of the publications in strong international demand.
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ELIMINATING<br />
SCHISTOSOMIASIS BY 2030:<br />
LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND<br />
More than 10 years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) stepped up its fight against<br />
neglected tropical diseases and set out a roadmap, with various international alliances<br />
supporting these targets. From the very outset, Merck has been deeply dedicated to the cause<br />
and has been investing considerable resources to move towards the fulfillment of the ambitious<br />
roadmap targets. In these endeavors, the company has been focusing on the treatment and<br />
elimination of schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection. In addition to the medicine which Merck has<br />
been providing for many years, a pediatric formulation will soon be available, allowing children<br />
<strong>under</strong> the age of six to be treated as well.<br />
By Manfred Klevesath, Merck<br />
Nearly two billion people across the<br />
globe are affected by neglected tropical<br />
diseases (NTDs), primarily populations<br />
living in tropical and subtropical climates.<br />
Although most of the 20 NTDs<br />
identified by the WHO are essentially<br />
treatable, the endemic areas severely<br />
lack the financial resources – or even<br />
the healthcare infrastructure – needed<br />
to combat these infections. In 2011, the<br />
WHO laid out its NTD Roadmap detailing<br />
targets to be achieved by 2020. Now<br />
this agenda is being updated with goals<br />
for the next 10-year period. With deep<br />
involvement from Merck, the WHO has<br />
created a new NTD 2030 Roadmap that<br />
is scheduled for launch in the end of<br />
of 2020.<br />
In order to combat NTDs, all relevant<br />
international actors must join forces<br />
and pull together. To this end, the London<br />
Declaration on Neglected Tropical<br />
Diseases was launched in 2012,<br />
signed by international stakeholders who<br />
made a commitment to jointly control<br />
or, where possible, eliminate 10 of the<br />
diseases named in the WHO roadmap.<br />
Merck has supported the London Declaration<br />
from the very beginning and<br />
collaborated to help drive progress.<br />
One of the most serious NTDs is schistosomiasis,<br />
a disease Merck has been working<br />
especially hard to defeat. To bring<br />
together the numerous organizations<br />
124<br />
Global Goals Yearbook 2020
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