By: Yusuff Moseray Suma
The Africa Media Network for the Promotion of Health and the Environment (REMAPSEN) has held its 4th Media Forum on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the Republic of Benin, bringing renewed attention to one of Africa’s most overlooked public health challenges.Held under the theme “From Neglect to Spotlight: Driving Africa’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Elimination Agenda,” the forum convened journalists, health experts, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to strengthen media engagement and accelerate Africa’s response to NTDs. The event brought together more than twenty journalists and health practitioners from Anglophone and Francophone countries where REMAPSEN operates, underscoring the critical role of the media in shaping public awareness, influencing policy, and combating stigma associated with NTDs. Participants emphasized that the media remains a powerful catalyst in the fight against discrimination and misinformation affecting people living with NTDs. Stakeholders called for stronger advocacy, innovation, and inclusive financing strategies to fast-track elimination efforts across the continent.These concerns were highlighted during a panel discussion titled “Equity, Innovation and Sports: Serving Communities for the Elimination of NTDs.”Speaking at the forum, Speak Up Africa’s Partnership Director, Sophietou Diop, urged journalists to move beyond conventional reporting by actively engaging philanthropists and private-sector actors to invest in Africa’s fight against NTDs.She stressed the importance of creative and artistic advocacy, supported by solid technical knowledge of NTDs, to ensure media initiatives align with elimination goals and deliver measurable impact.Also contributing, French-Beninese international basketball player and Founder of the I AM Foundation, Ian Dénagnon Mahinmi, called on the media to leverage sports as a strategic tool for resource mobilization and public sensitization.He highlighted the influence of athletes and youth-led initiatives in breaking stigma, promoting early detection, encouraging treatment-seeking behaviour, and advocating for quality healthcare through sports and education. According to the NBA champion, engaging young people and sports figures can significantly reduce discrimination against individuals affected by NTDs while opening new pathways for funding.The panel, moderated by Emefa Ama Atiamoah of the Multimedia Group, Ghana, also featured Mr. Roch Christian Johnson, Medical Adviser at the Raoul Follereau Foundation.Mr. Johnson underscored the importance of targeted disease screening as a critical strategy to prevent stigma and misconceptions surrounding NTDs. He called on governments, health experts, and stakeholders to provide psychological support and quality healthcare services to vulnerable populations, particularly those living with NTDs. He further emphasized that addressing social determinants of health, ensuring sustainable financing for treatment, and exploring alternative funding mechanisms are essential to reducing the disease burden across affected communities.In a separate panel titled “Status of NTDs in Africa: Data, Progress, Challenges and Opportunities,” stakeholders identified low public awareness, inadequate resource mobilization, limited access to treatment, and persistent stigma as major obstacles to NTD elimination in Africa.Panelists noted that poverty remains a key driver of NTDs, as most affected populations reside in remote and underserved areas with limited access to basic social and health services. Poverty, they said, not only increases exposure to NTDs but also restricts access to timely healthcare, worsening disease outcomes.On government efforts, panelists revealed that Benin’s National Assembly has passed legislation aimed at eliminating NTDs and has doubled budgetary allocation for NTDs from two billion to four billion, signaling increased political commitment.Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, REMAPSEN President, Mr. Youssouf Bamba, said NTDs disproportionately affect poor, remote, and marginalized communities, reinforcing cycles of poverty and social exclusion.He explained that NTDs are termed “neglected” not because they are rare, but due to years of insufficient attention, funding, and prioritization at both national and international levels.“Unlike high-profile diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria, NTDs often remain invisible to decision-makers, donors, and even the media,” Bamba said.According to him, the forum seeks to celebrate Africa’s progress in combating NTDs, highlight the return on investment in NTD programmes, and position Africa’s achievements as one of the world’s most underreported global health success stories.He added that discussions at the forum aim to spotlight both challenges and opportunities in NTD elimination, with a focus on domestic financing, service integration, research and development, and the broader social and economic benefits of eliminating NTDs.Bamba further noted that the forum is designed to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report accurately and compellingly on NTDs, foster collaboration among key stakeholders, and promote impactful media content that informs, influences policy, and inspires action.