Disease management, disability and inclusion: Why people-centred research is needed to beat NTDs

An LCNTDR research webinar discussing the epidemiology and burden of the neglected co-morbidities associated with NTDs and how some groups are transitioning from theory to practice by taking a whole person approach to NTDs control, elimination, eradication and morbidity management.

2021 has been a landmark year for those fighting for disability inclusion and a person-centred approach to NTDs. After decades of conceptualising, researching, and bringing the importance of this topic to the fore, the launch of the WHO road map 2021-2030 has delivered a paradigm shift in the way NTD programmes are being approached and delivered.

In addition to the road map, the published guide on good working principles developed in collaboration between WHO and NNN (“Mental Health of people with NTDs, Towards a Person Centred Approach”) and the essential care package on managing certain NTDs (“Lymphatic Filariasis: Managing Morbidity and Preventing Disability: An Aide-Memoire for National Programme Managers”) have supported researchers and implementers to put these principles into practice.

This webinar will cover the epidemiology and impact of NTD co-morbidities, emphasising the underestimation of the current burden of NTDs when mental health conditions are not taken into account, and will discuss how programmes in countries with endemic NTDs are putting theory into practice in NTD programmes by taking people-centred approaches.