Neglected tropical diseases fight suffers as donor funding dries up

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.

During  forums hosted by Amref, senior county officials discussed ways to bridge the funding gaps in the fight against neglected diseases.

Vincent Ouma, Amref’s Programs Director for NTDs, stressed the need for counties to take full responsibility for eliminating these diseases after years of donor assistance.

He pointed out that the WHO has identified 21 NTDs, with 17 of them being prevalent in Kenya.

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“Twenty-five million Kenyans are at risk of one NTD or another. We have 10 million people who require treatment. This is a significant number that demands our attention,” Ouma stated.

Vihiga County has allocated Sh2.5 million to support these efforts.

The county’s Director of Public Health, Martin Osotsi, said health facilities have been forced to tap into the Facility Improvement Fund to sustain the battle against NTDs.

“For the 2025/26 financial year, we have allocated Sh2.5 million towards elimination efforts,” Osotsi said.

“We recognise that donor funding is declining, so health facilities must use their internal collections to support the fight against NTDs.”

Phanuel Khaenga, the County Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases, noted that jiggers and bilharzia are the most prevalent NTDs in Vihiga.

In Trans Nzoia, Sh25 million is needed to prevent and manage neglected diseases, particularly soil-transmitted intestinal worms, bilharzia and jiggers.

The county’s NTDs Coordinator, Nobert Musundi, reported that seven per cent of the population is affected by intestinal worm infestations, while two per cent suffers from bilharzia.

“We require Sh25 million, but due to budget constraints, we have requested Sh12 million to begin the interventions. We hope the County Assembly will approve this amount. We also plan to partner with various stakeholders to help bridge the funding gap.”

Bungoma County’s Executive for Health Caroline Makali, emphasised the significant impact of these neglected ailments and advocated for increased exchequer funding to enable counties to eliminate the diseases by 2030.

She noted that intestinal worms are the most common NTD in Bungoma and committed to progressively increasing their allocation for this purpose.

To eradicate these diseases by 2030, we must adopt a multi-sectoral approach,” Makali stated, adding, “The budget for addressing neglected ailments is insufficient.”

It will cover the purchase of chemicals, mass drug administration and public sensitisation.”

She added that Tongaren area is particularly affected by intestinal worm infestations.

William Olata, the Director of Public Health in Kakamega County, reported a bilharzia prevalence of 4.3 per cent, with soil-transmitted diseases affecting 8.3 per cent of the population.

He mentioned that a sponsored mass drug administration programme had produced positive results, including a reduction in the prevalence rate.”