This year’s Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the capital of Rwanda, held in June 2023, is a critical moment for the global fight against some of the most horrific diseases to afflict humanity. Notably, the most recent Kigali Summit drew on the legacy of the inaugural Summit held in June 2018 – an important milestone in the committed efforts from leaders, health officials, and advocates alike to tackle malaria and NTDs through exerted commitment and renewed innovation. In this primer, we examine the legacy of the Kigali Summit in the global health landscape and outline the three strategic goals that guided global action for the prevention, control, and elimination of these diseases.
Background and Significance of the Kigali Summit
At the Kigali Summit, the highest-level meeting on this topic to date, the rise of malaria cases and the stubborn entrenchment of NTDs couldn’t have been more evident. These two diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide – mostly in low- and middle-income countries – and are enormous obstacles to health and development.
Key Objectives of the Summit:
- Enhancing Commitment: Reinforce global commitment to malaria and NTD control and elimination.
- Promoting Innovation: Showcase and support new technologies and strategies for combating these diseases.
- Strengthening Collaboration: Foster partnerships between governments, organizations, and communities.
Major Announcements and Commitments
The Kigali Summit was notable for several high-impact announcements and commitments:
1. Increased Funding and Resource Mobilization
The higher profile brought about by the summit helped to secure greater funding for malaria and NTD programs. Major donors and countries pledged billions of dollars for research, treatment, and prevention.
- Global fund giving: The Global Fund announced a huge increase in funds it would devote this year to malaria and the NTDs to fast-track its progress towards its elimination targets.
- Bilateral and Multilateral Support: Several countries and international organizations ensured more pledges, including increasing support towards strengthening healthcare systems and expanding equitable access to essential health services.
2. Launch of Innovative Initiatives
The summit highlighted a slew of innovative approaches to the fight to control malaria and NTDs:
- Improving Local Health Infrastructure: Further details were released on significant funding for better local health systems. New Vaccine Development: Announcements of new vaccine development were made, including candidates for malaria and for several NTDs.
- Diagnostic Technologies: High-tech diagnostics were developed that could accurately and quickly detect diseases in primary healthcare.
- Treatment innovations: Features new treatments, and drug formulations that improve adherence and combat resistance.
3. Commitment to Equity and Access
Ensuring equitable access to healthcare and interventions was a central theme at the summit:
- Universal health coverage: Leaders stressed that people need access to relevant and timely diagnosis and treatment, including in remote areas.
- Roles for community health workers were affirmed, and commitments were made to increase their numbers, training, and integration into health systems.
Key Themes and Strategic Goals
The overarching topics and strategic objectives of the Kigali Summit included the future direction of scaling-up for malaria and NTDs. They are detailed below:
1. Strengthening Health Systems
Strictly enforced health systems are the best means of disease control. The summit shows the necessity to:
- Infrastructure Development: Investing in healthcare infrastructure to improve service delivery and disease management.
- Capacity Building: Supporting healthcare workers to build skills and improve their ability to diagnose and treat malaria and NTDs.
2. Accelerating Research and Development
They require research) that seeks both old and new solutions – examples are:
- Funding for R&D: Increasing funding for research into new treatments, vaccines, and diagnostic tools.
- Global Partnerships: Facilitating public-private partnerships to make science more innovative.
3. Community Engagement and Empowerment
Empowering communities is vital for the success of malaria and NTD programs:
- Awareness Campaigns: Launching educational campaigns to raise awareness about prevention, symptoms, and treatment options.
- – Community-Based Interventions: Community-based approaches to disease prevention and control, including involvement in surveillance and vector control.
4. Addressing Health Inequities
Health inequities often exacerbate the impact of malaria and NTDs. The summit emphasized:
- Targeted Interventions: Are Disaster Interventions Targeted Enough to the Needs of Vulnerable Populations like Women, Children, and the Marginalised?
- Policy Advocacy: Policies focused on improving social determinants of health and limiting disparities in access to care.
Collaborative Efforts and Partnerships
The Kigali Summit showed that partnerships are crucial for tackling malaria and NTDs:
1. Global Partnerships
World Health Organization (WHO): The WHO was at the core of the summit and harmonizing global strategies with its End Malaria and NTD Roadmaps.
2. Regional Cooperation
- African Union (AU): The AU and its member states committed to processes that facilitated regional coordination and collaboration toward addressing malaria and the NTDs more effectively.
- Regional Health Initiatives: Emphasising cross-border health initiatives, to reflect the fact that most of these diseases were also transboundary health problems.
3. Private Sector Involvement
The private sector’s role in advancing malaria and NTD control was highlighted through:
- Pharmaceutical Companies: Companies committed to investing in R&D and providing affordable treatments and vaccines.
- Technology Producers: Technology firms created innovative diagnostic tools and data-management instruments.
Impact and Future Directions
The collective commitments of the Kigali Summit signal renewed momentum in the effort to rein in malaria and NTDs. Knocking back the pathogens will depend on the chemistry of public-private partnerships forged at the game-changing meeting.
Immediate Impacts:
That means more money to existing health programs, and the ability to use new interventions.
The combination will help to ensure that innovation and access go hand in hand and that advances in research and technology will lead to better disease management and improved treatment outcomes.
Long-Term Goals:
- Sustainable Progress: If the momentum created by the summit is to result in tangible and sustainable progress over extended periods, we must seek nurtured and critical engagement with the difficult topics at hand. Two of these approaches to comprehending progress are examined here.
- Global Targets: Toward lofty targets envisioned in global strategies and roadmaps: malaria elimination and control of the NTDs.
The Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases has renewed commitment and provided real momentum to beat these diseases that leave people debilitated. The Summit, through its recognition of the need for further funding, new approaches, and a commitment to equity and engagement with communities, has put the world on a clear route to much better health.
Now that the summit has established commitments and plans, it’s important to track progress, adapt plans to new information, and ensure stakeholders continue working together toward success. If everyone takes action, relentlessly on a scale that frees these diseases from the populations they burden, malaria and NTDs will soon be in the rearview.
