Neglected tropical diseases fight suffers as donor funding dries up

Kezia Kitonga, a laboratory technologist at Jomvu Sub-county hospital takes a child through Neglected Tropical Diseases vaccination as health officials look on during NTD World Day. [Jayne Rose Gacheri/Standard]

Counties are struggling to finance the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) due to declining funding, making it difficult to meet the 2030 target of eliminating these diseases.

Health stakeholders meeting in Eldoret noted that most counties have been relying on donor support to combat conditions such as bilharzia, intestinal worms, trachoma, jiggers and sleeping sickness.