Partnerships
The
core strength of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
lies in its ability to bring together various partners in the quest
to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. Each partner joins with a different
mandate and all share a common goal: to create a future free of
lymphatic filariasis. With more than forty partners already, the
growing Global Alliance benefits from a broad and deep experience
of health, development, and philanthropic experience.
Endemic
countries lead the Global Alliance by implementing the strategy,
identifying operational research needs, and monitoring and evaluating
progress.
- National
Ministries of Health of the 83 endemic countries
International
Organisations provide expertise to support national programmes
in preparing national plans, mapping disease distribution, training
health personnel both in drug distribution and disability prevention
and control activities, social mobilization, and monitoring and
evaluation.
Private
Sector companies
provide supplies and drugs, free or at-cost, for mass drug administration
campaigns, promote advocacy, support academia and facilitate programme
development.
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In 1998, the coalition was given a powerful boost when GlaxoSmithKline
(at the time SmithKline Beecham) announced its commitment to collaborate
with the World Health Organization, in the form of a unique partnership
between the private sector and the public sector, by donating albendazole
(one of the drugs used against lymphatic filariasis) free of charge
for as long as necessary. The two organisations pledged to work together
closely to undertake this massive international public health effort.
Subsequently, Merck & Co., Inc. pledged to expand its ongoing
Mectizan® Donation
Program for onchocerciasis (river blindness) to cover treatment
of lymphatic filariasis with Mectizan® (ivermectin) in all African
countries where the two diseases co-exist. The donations will enable
countries which are in need, but which are without the necessary resources,
to acquire the drugs and to pursue their national elimination programmes. |
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International
Development Agencies and Foundations
have pledged funds to support the implementation of national LF elimination
programmes.
- Arab
Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Kuwait
- Australian
Agency for International Development (AusAID), Australia
- Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation, United States of America
- Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA
- Department
for International Development (DFID), UK
- Izumi
Foundation, USA
- Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan
- Ministry
of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan
- United
States Agency for International Development (USAID), USA
Advocacy and resource mobilization partners
Non-governmental
development organisations
complement the efforts of the national Ministries of Health in implementing
different components of the programmes within their specific competence
and scope.
- Amaury
Couthino, Brazil
- Catholic
Medical Mission Board, USA
- Christoffel Blindenmission, Germany
- Handicap
International, France
- Health
and Development International (HDI), Norway
- Helen
Keller International, USA
- Interchurch
Medical Assistance (IMA), USA
- International
Foundation for Dermatology, UK
- International
Skin Care Nursing Group, UK
- International
Volunteers in Urology, USA
- LEPRA,
United Kingdom
- Mission to Save the Helpless (MITOSATH), Nigeria
- Sightsavers International, UK
- The
Carter Center, Atlanta, USA
- The
Mectizan® Donation Program, USA
Academic and research
institutions strengthen the scientific basis, test new tools and
strategies, provide postgraduate human capacity development and carry
out operational research
- Ain
Shams University, Egypt
- Bernhard
Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany
- Chinese Academy
of Preventive Medicine, China
- Danish
Bilharziasis Laboratory (DBL), Denmark
- Institute
for Medical Research (IMR), Malaysia
- James
Cook University, Australia
- Lymphatic
Filariasis Support Center, The Task Force for Child Survival and Development,
USA
- Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
- Michigan
State University, USA
- Notre
Dame University, USA
- Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, UK
- Smith College, Northampton Massachusetts
- Universidade Federal
de Pernambuco, Brazil
- Vector
Control Research Centre (VCRC), Indian Council of Medical Research,
India
- Washington
University in St. Louis - Barnes-Jewish Hospital, USA
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