Mectizan Donation Program Notes – Winter 2024

The Mectizan Donation Program team is grateful for your support in 2023 and looks forward to a happy and productive 2024 as we work together to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

Landmark donation pledged to expand the Reaching the Last Mile initiative

In December the world received wonderful news during the 28th session of the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties in Dubai: a bold pledge of over $777 million to defeat NTDs, including up to $500 million to expand the Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) initiative to accelerate progress in the elimination of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in Africa and Yemen. This expands the RLM commitment from 11 countries to all endemic countries in Africa and to Yemen.
 
The pledge was announced during the Reaching the Last Mile Forum side event attended by donors and dignitaries. “The expansion by the RLM from $100 million to $500 million to support onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis elimination in the entire African continent is a powerful commitment that will go a long way toward helping us to leverage the historic medicine donations by Merck & Co., Inc.* and GSK, getting the treatments to everyone who needs them—despite challenges that develop due to climate change,” noted MDP’s director, Dr. Yao Sodahon.
 
Climate change is affecting the reach and prevalence of NTDs, including lymphatic filariasis and river blindness. It will take a united front of partners to accelerate progress. We thank Reaching the Last Mile partners, including His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the END Fund, The Carter Center, and a long list of other generous donors.

Update on the new agreement between MDP and country partners

A new agreement between MDP and countries eligible to receive Mectizan went into effect in January of 2023. The agreement calls for enhanced commitment from partner countries to eliminate onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis and clarifies the donation conditions and responsibilities of signatory parties. The agreement is subject to renewal every five years. To date, almost all partner countries have signed the new agreement. The Mectizan Donation Program looks forward to finalizing agreements with the remaining countries to facilitate access to Mectizan in 2024.
 
As stipulated in the agreement, partners are reminded that Mectizan is to be used only for mass drug administration for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis as indicated by the regulatory requirements. All other uses are prohibited and require special applications through the Mectizan Donation Program for review.

The Task Force for Global Health convenes NTD advocacy meeting to build capacity for domestic resource mobilization

The Task Force for Global Health (TFGH) has been working on a Merck-funded project to build capacity among onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis program managers for domestic resource mobilization to support onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis elimination.
The project, titled “Advocating for Domestic Resources to Sustain the Gains Achieved by NTD Programs,” began with a survey of NTD program managers to gauge their interest in learning and sharing experiences to advocate for resources to fight these diseases. The survey results indicated a high level of interest in advocacy resources and learning opportunities. Results from the survey were published in the PLOS NTDs journal.  

The second phase of the project focused on development of tools and advocacy strategies. To test the tools, the TFGH team collaborated with representatives from NTD programs in 3 pilot countries: Cameroon, Malawi, and Togo. In September 2023, a two-day meeting was convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to test and refine the tools. During the interactive meeting, country representatives worked with the TFGH team to share and learn from one another, which demonstrated proof of concept that communities of practice are valuable to build capacity and facilitate knowledge sharing. MDP’s Dr. Yao Sodahlon and Ms. Joni Lawrence participated in the meeting.

Participants created a collective vision for advocacy that included identification of new advocacy audiences and partners as well as new strategies and approaches. A new online advocacy guide and e-course will be launched in early 2024. 

Pink banner with a photo of schoolgirls in Africa. Text reads World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 30 January

World NTD Day will be celebrated January 30

The theme for World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day this year is “Unite. Act. Eliminate.” MDP will join partners around the world in calling attention to the need to focus on elimination of onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and other NTDs.

The Mectizan Donation Program is an international program to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis primarily funded by Merck, with support from GlaxoSmithKline.

*Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey USA, is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.

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