Gilead Sciences supports Kigali Declaration for neglected tropical diseases

28 Jun 2022
Gilead Sciences has announced it has signed the Kigali Declaration for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), joining the global community seeking to end NTDs by 2030. The declaration aims to increase government support and secure commitments to achieve the SDG3 target on NTDs and to deliver the targets set out in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Neglected Tropical Disease Roadmap which includes global targets to prevent, control and in some cases eliminate 20 diseases and disease groups by 2030. The Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs concluded on 23 June 2022 with heads of state and government from Commonwealth countries signing and adopting the Kigali Declaration on NTDs and renewing their commitments to end these diseases. Gilead has committed to supporting and investing in global initiatives that will address health equity. It will also spearhead and contribute to a broad stakeholder dialogue driving pharmaceutical sector engagement and investment in tackling environmental issues causing NTDs, such as climate change and lack of access to clean water. These efforts are in addition to the company’s commitment to ending visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and it will continue its product donation to the VL elimination programme led by WHO between 2023 and 2027. Although progress has been made in the fight against NTDs, with the WHO reports that an estimated 10.6 million malaria deaths and 1.7 billion malaria cases were averted from 2000 to 2020, the global toll of malaria and NTDs remains high. 1.7 billion people around the world are affected by NTDs, which are prevalent in tropical areas and mostly affect impoverished communities, causing serious health, social and economic consequences. According to the 2021 World Malaria Report, there were 241 million cases of malaria and 627,000 malaria deaths in 2020. Children under five are particularly at risk, with a child dying from malaria every minute in Africa. NTD programmes also suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of people receiving treatment for NTDs falling by one-third in 2020 due to health service disruptions. “Gilead has a long history of supporting the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases. In signing the Kigali Declaration, we are reaffirming our commitment as part of our ongoing efforts to advance global health equity,” said Daniel O’Day, chairman and chief executive officer at Gilead Sciences. “The progress made against NTDs to date demonstrates the power of collaboration and unrelenting focus.”
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