Capacity-strengthening is defined by the United Nations as the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world. The control and management of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are essential for global health improvements in line with United Nations’ 2030 SDG Agenda. To guide effective control of NTDs, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the NTD Road map for 2021-2030, and a strategic framework for integrated control and management of skin-related NTDs. The WHO NTD Roadmap 2021-2030 has set global targets for 2030; 90% reduction in people requiring interventions against NTDs; 75% percentage reduction in disability-adjusted life years related to NTDs; 100 countries having eliminated at least one NTD; 2 NTDs are eradicated. However, the implementation of the roadmap and employment of various developed frameworks and tools in countries faces serious constraints such as limited healthcare budgets and inadequate healthcare human resource capacity.
Improving health service coverage and health outcomes depends on the availability, accessibility and capacity of healthcare workers to deliver quality people-centered integrated care. For NTDs, integrated control and management provides a way to implement the NTD Roadmap in an effective and efficient way. Integration is a key word, that can also be applied to strategies for capacity of health workers.
Over recent years new learning approaches and digital technology have emerged rapidly. These developments are allowing NTD capacity strengthening to leapfrog and improve its effectiveness, adding the much needed impetus to reach the roadmap targets. Evidence on blended e-learning approaches, in particular, is already revealing promising effects.
Integrated learning is defined as learning opportunities realized through designing and employing common training pathways on multiple diseases for health workers.
To foster collaboration and learning across the NTD community, an interactive map is developed that shows ongoing "integrated capacity strengthening initiatives".
Please do share with us any projects or programmes that you would like added to the map by contacting InfoNTD via info@infontd.org.