Accelerating the Sustainable Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (Ascend) was a programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to achieve progress towards global targets for the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
NTDs are a group of infectious diseases that thrive in poor and often rural settings, affecting more than 1 billion of the world’s poorest people. These diseases cause disability, disfigurement, stigma and death.
The programme supported countries in their efforts to control and eliminate five NTDs: Trachoma, Schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis and Visceral Leishmaniasis.
Crown Agents Limited was appointed as the Fund Manager for implementation of Lot 1 of Ascend which focuses on 11 countries in Southern and East Africa and South Asia. These are Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Malawi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Successes included:
- Reached over 70 million people with preventive treatments against 5 NTDs
- Helped governments strengthen their data systems and supply chains for NTDs, paving the way to more self-sustaining NTD support for the 1.5 billion people affected by these diseases
- Mass Drug Administration of treatments (MDAs) delivered in all target countries
- The programme was widely praised by FCDO and governments and scored an A+ in the programme completion review in August 2021
- Click here for more information on Health Systems Strengthening achievements
Unfortunately, as part of the UK governments cuts to aid in 2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic, Ascend was cut short. We are immensely proud of the numerous achievements made under Ascend and pleased to have carried on supporting 7 countries in East Africa and South Asia to continue their efforts to fight NTDs. Three new projects were established in 2021 to this end, as described here.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT VIA THE TABS ON THE RIGHT
