Uniting four countries in the fight against NTDs

Health experts, including Lazenya Weekes from SCI, attended an MRU Health meeting to discuss how best to tackle NTDs across four countries.

The Mano River Union (MRU), is an international association between Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire.

These MRU Health meetings were set up in 2006 to strengthen collaboration among the member countries in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTD).

Socio-political unrest, mass population movements and weaknesses in the health system of countries may affect the success and full implementation of NTD control activities. Hence cross-country transmission is of great concern, especially along the borders of the MRU countries.

To help mitigate the effects of NTDs in the sub-region, the MRU aim to meet annually to strengthen collaboration, address any cross-border issues that may prevent NTD control and to share best-practise.

This year’s meeting between 19-21 October was the first in 3 years, due to the Ebola outbreak in the sub-region. It aimed to reinvigorate efforts against NTDs, and share ideas and experiences in the field.

Lazenya, SCI Programme Manager for Liberia, shared her experiences on schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth control in the country, with representatives from the WHO, Ministries of Health, NTD donors and other non-governmental organisations, including Sightsavers and effect:hope.

The meeting was successful in generating ideas for the years ahead, including the potential to treat areas just outside of country borders during mass drug administration activities, to reduce cross-border spread of NTDs through population movement.

The MRU will also aim to communicate more regularly and aim to appoint an NTD ambassador for each country to advocate for fundraising for NTD activities.

Click here to read more about the MRU.