Rwanda has been selected to host the global summit on prevention of malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) 2020, a senior health official said Monday.
“Rwanda is ready to host the summit in June 25, 2020, and this offers a unique and big opportunity for our country to host such a health big gathering on malaria and NTDs,” said Diane Gashumba, Rwandan minister of health at the launch of the preparatory phase of the summit in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
According to Diane, the summit will provide great global attention and catalyze action to end these preventable yet often deadly diseases (malaria and NTDs) that have plagued humanity for thousands of years.
“We need renewed political commitment to fight against malaria and NTDs. We need to share across countries the best practices and innovations to beat these diseases,” said Gashumba.
The summit will be the first pledging event for NTDs in Africa, calling for 1.5 billion U.S dollars towards fulfilling the upcoming WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) 2030 roadmap, said Mwinga.
It will also be the first formal summit to bring a united global focus on ending these preventable diseases that have been devastating the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people for thousands of years, according to organizers.
The summit, co-hosted by two global partnerships tackling the diseases, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, will be held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
