The importance of Civil Society

Civil Society play a particularly powerful role in health campaigns, creating the political and social space for collaborations that are based on the core values of health as a basic human right and the collective good. By training to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the CSOs, we are shifting the ownership to countries and the CSOs within them. It is the CSOs who will bring communities together for collection action, mobilising society to articulate demands and voice concerns at local, national, regional and international levels.

About

The first African CSO coalition on NTDs, formed in July 2019, creates a connected, integrated, collaborative African CSO network, build CSO capacity to develop and implement locally relevant advocacy strategies, and engage political leaders on policy and budget support for sustainable NTD control and elimination programs.

This coalition provides a platform for CSOs, at all levels, to consult and collaborate with a view to maximize the impact of their efforts.

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No to NTD Civil Society Network

Coalition Members

Call to action
Declaration

The CSOs Impacts members of the No to NTD Network

The CSOs that are part of our network have made extraordinary efforts to have a positive impact on the fight against NTDs. As a result, 1,779 people were mobilized across Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger and Senegal, including 104 parliamentarians, 130 journalists, 288 local authorities (prefects and mayors), 333 community leaders, 870 civil society actors and 254 members of communal technical services.

Highlights

  • Commitment of local elected officials to integrate NTDs in their Operational Plans of Territorial Communities with a strong emphasis on the mobilization of endogenous resources.

  • Statement by the Minister of Health on financing the elimination of NTDs in Guinea Conakry.

  • Establishment of a coalition of CSOs for the fight against NTDs in Guinea and Niger.

  • Institutionalization of the multisectoral coalition to fight NTDs in Guinea and Guinea and Niger by ministerial decree as a signal of political commitment.

  • Orientation of 25 parliamentarians and Ministry of Health officials on funding of NTDs in Niger.

  • Integration of data and biannual MTN-Malaria reviews in Guinea and Senegal, respectively, as a result of strong advocacy.

  • Implementation of a regional campaign called "En Marche vers Kigali" (MTK) by nine CSOs.

  • Signing of the call to action by more than 300 CSOs and African media, and communication campaign.

  • Six local authorities in Niger have included actions to fight against NTDs in their communal development plans.

  • Definition of the roadmap for the regional "No to NTDs" coalition to conduct high-level advocacy against NTDs.