International Society For Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD)

Please join us for this exciting interactive session #Bilharzia Storytelling Lab on Apr 2, as part of our #ISNTDFestival 2025! 🌍 From Storytelling Lab to Impact: The Role of Collaboration in Creative Bilharzia Solutions 🎭💡 Join us and explore the journey and impact of the Bilharzia Storytelling Lab—a creative initiative led by Merck Group that brings local voices together to co-design powerful, community-based solutions for schistosomiasis education and prevention. By harnessing #storytelling as a tool for behaviour change, the Lab empowers communities—especially high-risk populations—to: ✅ Recognize symptoms early ✅ Understand how the disease spreads ✅ Adopt preventative practices to reduce infection risk This highly engaging session will feature live audience polls and dynamic panel discussions with distinguished partners from Rwanda and Ethiopia, including: 🔹 Namita Shekhar Ullegaddi (Implementation Manager, Schistosomiasis Franchise, Global Health & Health Equity, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) 🔹 Ladislas Nshimiyimana (Acting Director, NTDs and Other Parasitic Diseases Unit, Rwanda Biomedical Centre) 🔹 Dr. Eugene Ruberanziza (Director, Programs The END Fund, Rwanda) 🔹 Dr. Eric Niyongira (IoT Coordinator, @Rwanda NGOs Forum) 🔹 Anteneh Mekonnen (Multisectoral Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia) 🔹 Julie Buur Trærup (Communications Project Manager, Dalberg Media) 📅 Time: 13:00 – 14:30 UTC+1 [UK time] 💬 Let’s collaborate, reflect, and contribute to strengthening behaviour change approaches across the NTD space! 🔗 ISNTD Festival registration: https://lnkd.in/ezXt7HG3 #StorytellingLab #NTD #Schistosomiasis #HealthInnovation #CommunityEngagement #Collaboration #beatNTDs #schisto #schistosomiasis Anteneh M.

#ISNTDFestival Book Panel (Apr 3, 10.15 UK time) 🦠 From Crisis to Resilience: Stories of Pandemics, Pathogens, and Humanity 📚 As the world marks the fifth anniversary since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m thrilled to invite you to our next Book Panel as part of our annual ISNTD Festival (April 2-3) of all things creative and infectious diseases! Please join us for an exploration of three transformative books shedding light on our responses at both an institutional and, all-importantly, a human level to the complexities of pathogens, outbreaks and pandemics, drawing on myriad lessons learned including from the first successes of Homo sapiens, mistakes from past pandemics to the expertise of contemporary Nigeria. We are so honoured to welcome three exceptional authors Vivianne Ihekweazu, Kate Kelland and Jonathan Kennedy to this panel and hope to see you there too! ✨ Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History - Jonathan Kennedy (Centre for Public Health and Policy, Queen Mary University of London) ✨ Disease X: The 100 Days Mission to End Pandemics - Kate Kelland (Chief Scientific Writer, CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) ✨ - An Imperfect Storm: A Pandemic and the Coming of Age of a Nigerian Institution - Chikwe Ihekweazu (Assistant Director General, World Health Organization, WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence) & Vivianne Ihekweazu (Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch) 📅 Date: Thursday 3rd April 2025 ⏰ Time: 10.15-11.45 UTC+1 (UK time) 📍 Location: Online and free as part of our ISNTD Festival 2025 running on April 2-3, with 7 panels and sessions to attend! 💡 How to Join: https://lnkd.in/ezXt7HG3 This year’s ISNTD Festival aims to celebrate the power of #storytelling in driving change through the stories that are shaping our future; this book panel will look at this through the lens of global health challenges, past and future pandemics, the resilience of institutions and the all-important international cooperation needed more than ever to tackle health threats of the future. #covid19 #pandemics #pathogens #globalhealth #epidemics #books #scicomm #publicengagement #storytelling

Attention medical doctors! 🩺 Are you ready to enhance your knowledge to make a real impact in resource-limited settings and humanitarian crises? The Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine course is designed just for you! Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 cohort, running from March 24th to April 21st. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative learning experience. Apply now and take the next step in your medical career: https://lnkd.in/dGtShSG #GHHM #MSF #ApplyNow

Exactly five years ago, as #COVID19 lockdowns started around the world, the ISNTD launched its #ISNTDConnect series of online talks and meetings on all things tropical diseases in the hope that we could all stay connected and keep sharing the research and policy discussions so close to our hearts. In the slight panic of clicking the "Go live" button on that day in March 2020, all I could think about was: is this microphone suitable; will the now home-schooled children be patient long enough (if you know, you know); will anyone even tune in? It was a huge relief when everything lined up and we are still so grateful to Dr Gabriel Yan from the National University Health System Singapore for stepping off the COVID19 ward and taking 30 minutes to talk to us about the clinical similarities between #dengue and #COVID19, thereby launching the first episode! I could never have imagined that five years and more than 100 sessions later we would still be going strong, learning, sharing and connecting with colleagues from around the world. THANK YOU to everyone who has presented, attended, watched the recordings and made this a very special series. Remembering the good times with our dearly missed ISNTD co-founder and ISNTD Connect co-host Kamran Rafiq. We at ISNTD look forward to many more episodes indeed - don't hesitate to get in touch with me to propose a presentation or topic! Revisit the ISNTD Connect recordings so far: https://lnkd.in/dm5n5et

#SkinNTDs2025 At the second World Health Organization Global Meeting on Skin NTDs, 13 skin NTDs and 13 Working Groups offered a multitude of lenses through which to consider, shape and implement integration of skin health into primary health systems by services or by public health measures, as well as offering partnership opportunities with diseases sharing similar pathogens (ectoparasites, fungus, mycobacterium...) or similar disabilities (wounds, lymphoedema, impaired mobility or poor mental well-being...). It was inspiring to hear about a huge range of research and programs in skin NTDs, including insights into the potential role of Aedes notoscriptus in the transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans (causing Buruli ulcer), thermal imaging for remote diagnosis of skin NTDs and the immense successes in advocacy leading to a resolution being proposed at the forthcoming World Health Assembly to name just a few. Most importantly, it was a pleasure to meet with countless delegates from around the world particularly those able to share their lived experience of these diseases; congratulations to WHO for orchestrating this excellent meeting. #SkinNTDs #BeatNTDs #NTDRoadmap2030 #WHA78

Happy to have attended the second #SkinNTD meeting at the World Health Organization in Geneva this week. A couple of key thoughts and moments as I reflect on the past few days: Solidarity amongst persons with lived experience of skin disease is extremely important, and incredibly powerful. I felt so l grateful to be around other advocates from different parts of the world, sharing their story and connecting on how we can do more as a collective voice. I’m looking forward to seeing more representation from persons that can bring necessary calls to action in high level meetings and to building a global coalition together. I’m also grateful for the wealth of knowledge and advice that was given this week. I not only learnt more about the science of Skin NTD’s but I also left with knowledge of outstanding partnerships and engagement provided by the speakers, researchers and partners that delivered fantastic presentations at the meeting. Thanks also to those who took the time to have deeper conversations with me outside of the sessions, identifying areas for partnership and future work. Finally, I also got to meet Romina Rios Blanco in real life! - we were mentored through the women in global health program by Ashley Souza around 4 years ago, and we just so happened to bump into one another in the hallway! In person meetings are great for this exact reason, there is something very special about connecting with one another outside of the digital realm. Looking forward to continuing these conversations and working towards stronger advocacy for Skin NTDs! A few people to thank for speaking with me: Claire Jeantet Yona Yangaza Michael Head Anna Wickenden, PhD Marianne Comparet Dr Priya Pathak Emmanuel from BUVA foundation, Mulikat Okanlawon Mathias Duck and so many more Leishmaniasis Advocacy Network

We're looking for a post-doc to work on a new livestock anthelminthic resistance project: 'Anthelmogram: the next generation decision making tool for anthelmintic resistance management in Europe'. We will use 'nemabiome' and targeted sequencing of resistance loci to study livestock GI nematode communities from across Europe, which will be phenotyped by project partners using a novel high-throughput platform for assessing drug resistance. Whole-genome sequencing will be used to study a subset of these populations in greaterdetail. The successful candidate will be responsible for the molecular work and in-silico analysis, as well as helping to manage the project with partners throughout Europe. Please get in touch with Roz Laing (Rosalind.Laing@glasgow.ac.uk) or I (james.cotton@glasgow.ac.uk) if you have any questions. Applicatons due by the 24th of Feb https://lnkd.in/eeFx4jGe

The WHO Chagas Program has received the prestigious international Trifermed Awards 2024 This recognition highlights the significant strides made in combating Chagas disease and underscores the longstanding collaboration between Bayer | Pharmaceuticals and the World Health Organization. Chagas disease, affecting about eight million people, primarily in Latin America, is often overlooked in global health discussions. Together with the WHO and partners, we have been dedicated to raising awareness, enhancing diagnosis, and improving treatment options for affected communities. Our partnership exemplifies how the private and public sectors can unite to tackle urgent health challenges. Read and watch more: https://lnkd.in/d-jVPrAd https://lnkd.in/d6qGBXup https://lnkd.in/d26mUmMk As we celebrate this achievement, we renew our commitments for support also for the years to come. Together, we can pave the way for a future where Chagas disease is no longer a threat to public health. #beatchagas #endtheneglect #healthforall

Inviting your input at #SkinNTDs2025 (workshop below)! Did you know that 13 of the 20+ Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are skin related? #SkinNTDs include leprosy, noma, Buruli ulcer, leishmaniasis, mycetoma and yaws, and affect appearance, wellbeing and health in some of the heaviest and most personal ways, with affected persons often enduring life-long sequelae, including discrimination, stigma, disability or economic distress; yet these conditions remain highly under-prioritised in public health agendas. Even for other NTDs such as #dengue & #chikungunya, characteristic skin presentations are an important part of accurate diagnosis. Next week in Geneva, the World Health Organization will host its second Global Meeting on Skin NTDs bringing together 300+ stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines, from discovery #research, drug discovery, wound care, #epidemiology to #AI driven #diagnostics or #WASH and #OneHealth to name a few. This highly cross-disciplinary gathering aims to drive collaborations and integration across Skin NTDs, but also of these conditions within healthcare systems. While Skin NTDs require significant resources and effort to improve active case detection and individual case management, these diseases also offer substantial opportunities for synergies across #healthsystems. In extraordinary news for the sector, a recent collaboration between L'Oréal and WHO Foundation spearheads a new advocacy era to leverage these opportunities, tackle 'dermatological deserts' and commit to closing skin health access gaps. As part of the WHO Skin NTDs Working Group on Advocacy and Communications, I would like to cordially invite you to join our Side Meeting on March 25th and share some of your experiences and thoughts on how we can best accelerate and galvanise resources and collaborations for #SkinNTDs. Please do join us (in person and online): Beyond the Surface: Workshop on Skin NTDs Advocacy and Communication to Galvanize Resources and Momentum Tuesday 25th March | 12:00-13.30 CET Link: https://lnkd.in/eG8xR5cb Passcode: pM8dFL$H Proposed by the Skin NTDs Advocacy & Communication Working Group Members: Anna Wickenden, PhD (Chair); Ipsita Ghosh (Co-chair); Nikita Sarah Singh (Co-chair); Kingsley Asiedu; Adeola Bamisaiye; Marianne Comparet; Ahmed Fahal; Michael Head; Dr Priya Pathak; Yona Yangaza. All the information regarding the Second WHO Skin NTDs Global Meeting can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eCJ2Phux #HealthForAll #HealthSystems #BeatNTDs #GlobalHealth Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall Daniel Argaw Dagne Albis Francesco Gabrielli Shams Syed

This great investment by GHIT addresses the R&D critical gaps of NTD diagnostics and therapeutics in the targeted diseases. The Schistosomiasis tests are expected to be used as a point-of-care (POC) diagnostics to support decision for Interruption of Transmission/Stopping Mass Drug Administration (MDA) and for subsequent Surveillance of the disease. This is completely in line with WHO target product profiles.