Sustainable financing for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Tanzania especially for the rural local communities is crucial for maintaining progress, ensuring continuity of treatment, and reaching the goal of disease elimination.

I have highlighted some issues as to why we need sustainable funding for NTD activities in Tanzania.

1. Declining Donor Funding

There has been a notable decrease in donor funding for NTD programs in Tanzania. For example, between 2015/16 and 2019/20, donor support dropped by 37%—from USD 12.7 million to USD 7.99 million. The freeze in USAID funding and the decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have significantly impacted the sustainability of NTD programs.

2. Competition for Resources

NTDs are often grouped with other communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS during planning and budgeting processes. This results in NTDs #competing for limited health resources with diseases that have higher mortality rates and more visible public health profiles. Consequently, NTD activities are often underfunded or cut entirely.

3. Limited Sub-national Resource Mobilization

Despite some progress in mobilizing resources at the council level, sub-national governments still depend heavily on central government funding, which is often unpredictable and insufficient. Key challenges include a lack of financial data for effective planning, limited advocacy skills at the local level, and weak engagement of finance and administrative stakeholders.

4. Inadequate Data for Targeted Interventions

A significant barrier to efficient NTD control is the lack of detailed sub-district (ward-level) prevalence data. This limits the ability to adopt more targeted treatment strategies that would allow better use of limited resources. Furthermore, national planning and reporting systems like PlanRep contain limited and disorganized indicators for NTDs, making it hard for councils to integrate NTD priorities into their health plans effectively

5. Stigma and Economic Impact

NTDs not only affect health but also have deep economic and social consequences. These diseases contribute to poverty through direct healthcare costs, lost productivity, and reduced educational and economic opportunities. Moreover, the disfigurement and disabilities caused by NTDs often lead to stigma and social exclusion, affecting individuals' ability to work, marry, and participate fully in their communities. Sustainable financing is, therefore, not just a funding issue it’s about ensuring equity, dignity, and economic resilience for affected communities.

LET'S TRANSFORM ADVOCACY TO ACTIONS.

Adam J. Mohammed One Health Society NTD Fellow Email: adammohammed@tyhdo.or.tz