GO BEYOND Initiative: Uniting Voices to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases
On World NTD Day 2025, Speak Up Africa is taking bold steps with its GO BEYOND initiative to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in a new and innovative way. By bringing together a diverse coalition of voices, including artists, athletes, and those affected by NTDs, GO BEYOND aims to push the fight against these diseases to new heights. With a strong focus on women and youth, the initiative seeks to build a community movement that advocates for better prioritization of NTDs, increased investments, and a more person-centred approach to finding solutions for the over 1 billion people worldwide affected by these diseases.
World NTD Day is a time to celebrate the progress made in the fight against NTDs, with twenty-two African nations having eliminated at least one NTD by the end of 2024. The world is now halfway towards reaching the WHO NTD roadmap 2030 target of 100 countries eliminating at least one NTD by 2030.
However, challenges still remain, including strengthening health systems, addressing the link between NTDs and climate change, and implementing more community-led approaches to combat these diseases.
The GO BEYOND initiative seeks to involve communities affected by NTDs in finding solutions tailored to their needs. By promoting cross-sector collaboration, amplifying community voices, and fostering inclusive partnerships, the initiative is setting a new standard for advocacy in the fight against NTDs.
Yacine Djibo, Executive Director and Founder of Speak Up Africa, emphasizes the importance of amplifying diverse voices to eliminate NTDs once and for all.
For World NTD Day, the GO BEYOND initiative will bring together youth leaders, musicians, and artists in Senegal, Kenya, and Ethiopia, as well as connect communities through sports in Benin and Senegal. Through partnerships with the Basketball Africa League, young people will learn about NTD prevention while engaging in a basketball match. Workshops and health screenings will also be held in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Kenya to raise awareness and improve detection in communities.
Champions across Africa will unite on World NTD Day to support the elimination of NTDs by using their platforms and expertise to advocate for sustainability and equity in the fight against these diseases.
Speak Up Africa calls on world leaders to embed NTD elimination targets into national health policies, allocate dedicated budget lines, and integrate NTD programs into universal health coverage plans. A coordinated response from governments, private sector partners, and donors is essential to achieving success in eliminating NTDs.
Together, we must go beyond traditional approaches and forge new partnerships that prioritize affected communities in finding solutions. Join us this World NTD Day in building a future where neglected tropical diseases are no longer a burden.
About Speak Up Africa
Speak Up Africa is a Senegal-based organization dedicated to empowering African citizens to drive growth and sustainable development on the continent. Through strategic communications, policies, and advocacy, the organization focuses on addressing major challenges such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases, vaccination, sanitation, gender equality, and global health research and development.
