Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
How can the global community secure sustainable financing to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and protect recent progress? This World Health Summit 2025 workshop examined how shifting geopolitical priorities and reduced international funding are affecting NTD programs and what collective action is needed to move forward.
The session explored the consequences of recent disruptions in major donor countries, including halted clinical trials, stalled research and development, and weakened program delivery in endemic regions. Speakers discussed the strain on health authorities and civil society organizations as donated medicines and essential services become less reliable. The conversation also assessed how reductions in broader international cooperation and projected cuts to World Health Organization (WHO) funding create further obstacles for achieving the WHO NTD roadmap targets for 2030.
Participants considered practical solutions for innovative financing and shared responsibility across governments, industry, and philanthropic actors. Options discussed included diversifying funding streams, strengthening local ownership, improving coordination, and safeguarding long-term research and product development for NTDs.
This workshop was part of the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin and was co-hosted by the Association of Research-based Pharmacy (vfa) and the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs). Moderators and speakers included Achim Hörauf (University Bonn Medical Center), Carsten Köhler (University Hospital Tübingen), Johannes Waltz (Merck), Carol Karutu (The END Fund), Maria Rebollo Polo (WHO), and Laurent Fraisse (DNDi).
The World Health Summit 2025 was a global platform that brought together leaders from science, politics, the private sector, and civil society to advance health and well-being worldwide. Learn more: worldhealthsummit.org
How can the global community secure sustainable financing to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and protect recent progress? This World Health Summit 2025 workshop examined how shifting geopolitical priorities and reduced international funding are affecting NTD programs and what collective action is needed to move forward.
The session explored the consequences of recent disruptions in major donor countries, including halted clinical trials, stalled research and development, and weakened program delivery in endemic regions. Speakers discussed the strain on health authorities and civil society organizations as donated medicines and essential services become less reliable. The conversation also assessed how reductions in broader international cooperation and projected cuts to World Health Organization (WHO) funding create further obstacles for achieving the WHO NTD roadmap targets for 2030.
Participants considered practical solutions for innovative financing and shared responsibility across governments, industry, and philanthropic actors. Options discussed included diversifying funding streams, strengthening local ownership, improving coordination, and safeguarding long-term research and product development for NTDs.
This workshop was part of the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin and was co-hosted by the Association of Research-based Pharmacy (vfa) and the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs). Moderators and speakers included Achim Hörauf (University Bonn Medical Center), Carsten Köhler (University Hospital Tübingen), Johannes Waltz (Merck), Carol Karutu (The END Fund), Maria Rebollo Polo (WHO), and Laurent Fraisse (DNDi).
The World Health Summit 2025 was a global platform that brought together leaders from science, politics, the private sector, and civil society to advance health and well-being worldwide. Learn more: worldhealthsummit.org
