98 HEALTHCARE
THE EXPANDED
SPECIAL PROJECT
FOR ELIMINATION OF
NEGLECTED TROPICAL
DISEASES
Enhanced approaches to improve the
lives of millions of people at risk of
neglected tropical diseases in Africa
The World Health Organization’s
Regional Office for Africa (AFRO)
is poised to launch the Expanded
Special Project for Elimination
of Neglected Tropical Diseases
(ESPEN) - a new entity which
prioritizes the integrated control of
five diseases in Africa. Endemic
African Countries, Non-governmental
development organizations, medicine
donors, donors and the World Health
Organization (WHO) reached a
consensus on the establishment of
ESPEN following two meetings held in
April 2015 in Johannesburg and July
2015 in Geneva as the result of efforts
to eliminate these diseases from the
African Region. The project brings
hope to millions of people in the
Region who suffer from one or more
of the five diseases, which can be
easily prevented through large-scale
administration of medicines (also
known mass drug administration-
MDA) to communities at risk.
The World Health Organization’s Regional
Office for Africa (AFRO) is poised to launch the
Expanded Special Project for Elimination of
Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) - a new
entity which prioritizes the integrated control
of five diseases in Africa. Endemic African
Countries, Non-governmental development
organizations, medicine donors, donors and
the World Health Organization (WHO) reached
a consensus on the establishment of ESPEN
following two meetings held in April 2015 in
Johannesburg and July 2015 in Geneva as the
result of efforts to eliminate these diseases from
the African Region. The project brings hope
to millions of people in the Region who suffer
from one or more of the five diseases, which
can be easily prevented through large-scale
administration of medicines (also known mass
drug administration-MDA) to communities at risk.
Functioning as an integral part of WHO, ESPEN
will ensure that the gains made over the past
decades in the control of onchocerciasis
(river blindness) are sustained while providing
enhanced technical support for expanding large-
scale administration of medicines particularly
for lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). It also
sustains the monitoring, evaluation and impact
assessment surveys in countries with plans to
assess and advise on when to stop ‘Community
Directed Treatment with Ivermectin’ (CDTI) and/
or large-scale administration of medicines. In
addition, ESPEN will provide operational support
to endemic countries to achieve elimination goals
and targets in accordance with the Regional
Strategic Plan for NTDs for the period 2014-
2020.