Strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration to #beatNTDs: lessons from Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, thrive in areas with limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). WASH interventions are essential across the full spectrum of prevention, treatment, management, and care for NTDs. However, it is estimated that 785 million people lack access to basic water services, over two billion people do not have access to basic sanitation, and three billion lack hand and face washing facilities at home.

Ending the neglect to attain the sustainable development goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases, and its companion document, the Global WASH/NTD Strategy, emphasize that cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to achieve global targets for NTDs. In particular, deliberate and sustained collaboration and coordination between health and WASH stakeholders are essential to ensure WASH interventions are targeted at areas with high NTD burden and implemented by organizations with sufficient expertise and established and trusted relationships within communities that they serve.

In 2023, the World Health Organization and Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network published a second edition of WASH and health working together: a ‘how-to’ guide for neglected tropical disease programmes. This WASH/NTD toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to NTD program managers and partners on how to engage and work collaboratively with the WASH community and other relevant sectors to improve the delivery of WASH services to underserved populations. The toolkit draws on tools and practices used in the delivery of coordinated and integrated programs for NTDs, with the second edition providing revisions and new tools based on experiences of using the toolkit in more than 20 countries.

Here, we present experiences from three countries, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, which have taken proactive steps to adopt the WASH/NTD toolkit to improve cross sector action. By sharing country experiences, we aim to highlight the significant advancements that countries can make by using the toolkit and promoting cross-country learning to advance global progress for WASH and NTDs.