Cross-cutting working group
Skin-related NTDs
Addresses NTDs that present with skin lesions — Buruli ulcer, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mycetoma, yaws and scabies — developing integrated strategies for prevention, control, management and surveillance, and advocating for greater support.
The recent debates on how to address NTDs that are not treatable with blanket administrations (non-PCT NTDs), and the urgent need to develop strategies that answer multiple challenges in prevention, control, management and surveillance of these diseases, have led to the recognition of specific operational and technical aspects of the non-PCT NTDs. Several diseases that have in common skin lesions as initial signs of infection (Buruli ulcer, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mycetoma and yaws, for instance) have been somewhat neglected as difficult to map or involving complex treatment.
Meanwhile, in a post-MDA phase in which drugs such as ivermectin or azithromycin are no longer administered as blanket administration, diseases such as scabies and yaws — treatable and kept under control with these drugs — are suddenly increasing or reoccurring.
Integration agenda
To move forward the elimination agenda for these diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has started to promote an integrated strategy for skin-related NTDs that require active detection, treatment and control. Integrating the management of diseases that have skin problems as a commonality creates an opportunity to tackle many conditions at once in a cost-effective way.
Greater advocacy efforts are needed in order to increase international support for skin-related NTDs. Several organizations agreed to create the Skin NTDs Cross-Cutting Group to ensure these neglected diseases receive adequate attention and financial support within the NTD Roadmap.
Main functions
- To drive the development and implementation of the Network's strategy on this cross-cutting topic.
- To align with and contribute to the NNN Framework for Engagement and its objectives.
- To ensure the Network's support to the WHO NTD Roadmap is aligned with NNN objectives.
- To ensure that NNN is represented in relevant forums related to skin-related NTDs and sharing relevant information with NNN membership.
- To identify, and plan for, an annual programme of activities that deliver on the NNN strategy for skin-related NTDs.
- To report back to the Members at the Annual Conference on progress.
Chair: Rie Yotsu (Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine)