Central African Republic Hosts Key Review Meeting on NTDs

A key meeting, the "Annual Review of Activities to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases with Preventive Chemotherapy"," was held in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. The aim of this meeting, which took place from 7 to 8 November 2023, was to assess the progress made in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and to set the course for future efforts.

The meeting brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including doctors, heads of health districts, directors of endemic health regions and executives from the Ministry of Health. Key technical and financial partners such as CBM, the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) and the Organisation for the Prevention of Blindness (OPC) also participated.

Representing CBM were Johan Willems, Global NTD Programme Manager, Dr Michel Mandro-Ndahura, NTD Regional Advisor for West and Central Africa, and Dr Benoit Kemata, NTD Programme Coordinator and CBM Representative in CAR.

During the two-day event, participants reviewed the implementation of all field activities. They examined the outcomes of the mass drug administration campaigns and assessed the progress made in eliminating these diseases as a public health problem. Challenges and obstacles as well as strategies for the upcoming 2024 campaign were also discussed in detail.

A key highlight of the review was the meeting between local partners, CBM representatives and the Minister of Health and Population of the Central African Republic. They discussed the ongoing partnership between CBM and the Central African government through the Ministry of Health, focussing on the challenge of safe storage of medicines for neglected tropical diseases.

This annual review marks a significant step in the joint effort to eliminate NTDs in the Central African Republic and provides a solid foundation for future efforts to eradicate these diseases.