On 4 February 2026, the UK Coalition Against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and NTDs co‑hosted an event at the Houses of Parliament titled Leaving No One Behind: Reaching 1 billion people affected by NTDs.
The event brought together Parliamentarians, global health leaders, researchers, people with lived experience, and civil society, calling on the UK Government to reaffirm and strengthen its leadership on NTDs.
Speakers highlighted that integrating NTD prevention, diagnosis, and care into essential health services—alongside predictable, transparent funding for research and implementation—is vital to ensure that the world’s most marginalised populations are not left behind.
The event had a wide variety of speakers who all provided compelling testimonies and calls for action in eradicating NTDs, including Dr Lauren Sullivan, Co-Chair of the APPG for Malaria and NTDs; The Rt Hon Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister for International Development and Africa; Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of Malaria and NTDs at WHO; Professor Julian Eaton of LSTM; Dr Borna Nyaoke-Anoke, Head of Mycetoma Disease at DNDi; and Dr Wendy Harrison, CEO of Unlimit Health.
In addition to these speakers, our very own Dr Belete Legesse (PhD), Head of Medicinal Chemistry at CDT‑Africa (Addis Ababa University), gave a powerful speech which underlined the importance of long‑term UK research funding.
“NTDs remain chronically under-prioritised in diagnostics and drug development. The dominant global R&D model relies heavily on market-driven incentives, which rarely work for diseases with limited commercial return. We cannot expect industry alone to solve this problem.
Continued UK leadership can ensure that diseases long neglected are finally addressed—and that innovation is brought closer to the communities who need it most.”
The event also showcased a powerful video with testimonies from people affected by NTDs, complied by Dr Gemma Aellah.
About the UK Coalition Against NTDs
The UK Coalition Against NTDs is a collaborative partnership between UK organisations, coalitions and special interest groups actively engaged in the control, elimination or eradication of NTDs. Members include Martha Varney from the APPG on Malaria and NTDs, the International Coalition for Trachoma Control, CBM Christian Blind Mission, DNDi, Unlimit Health, Orbis International, The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, BSMS Global Health and Infection, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, WaterAid, and Malaria Consortium.
About NTDs
NTDs are a group of 21 parasitic, bacterial, fungal, viral and protozoan infections, in addition to envenoming, that affect over one billion people of the world’s most marginalised people.
The epidemiology of NTDs is complex; some have animal and/or human reservoirs, many are vector-borne, and most are associated with intricate life cycles.
People affected experience long-term adverse health and educational outcomes. Some NTDs, such as lymphatic filariasis, can cause severe disfigurement and disability, leading to stigmatisation and social exclusion, which in turn can impact mental health and economic productivity.
