Participation in the Meeting on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Japan and Visit to Eisai Co., Ltd. (September 2024)

In September 2024, a meeting was held to reflect on and celebrate Japan's contributions to eliminating/ controlling Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The event, attended by the Chief Advisor of this project, also explored potential avenues for future collaboration and support between the Japanese government, private sector, and other stakeholders.

This meeting, co-hosted by Bridges to Development, Uniting to Combat NTDs, and SDGs Promise Japan, took place at 2nd Congressional District Office Building of the House of Representatives in Tokyo. Bridges to Development, supported by Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Global CSR Program funded Pacific Integrated NTD Elimination (PINE) Project, shared the outcomes of its NTDs elimination efforts in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The Chief Advisor explained about the history of JICA's contributions to Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in Oceania and highlighted specific activities and plans for LF control in West New Britain Province. A panel discussion on Japan's role in eliminating NTDs included input from pharmaceutical companies, universities, and JICA.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Health of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, as well as World Health Organization (WHO) offices from both countries, WPRO, SEARO, AFRO, universities from Japan and Australia, Japanese pharmaceutical companies, and various NGOs and NPOs. This meeting served as an important opportunity to reaffirm that the fight against NTDs is driven by multilayered partnerships and multilateral cooperation, and to confirm further strengthening of collaboration.

The Program Chief Advisor visited the headquarters of Eisai Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, where project progress and field activities were discussed. One of the drugs used in the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign, Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) tablets, is provided free of charge to Papua New Guinea through WHO by Eisai, making the company a crucial partner in the project. The discussions with the Sustainability Department about their MDA experiences in other countries and the current shipment status of DEC to Papua New Guinea and our ongoing MDA implementations by the project helped strengthen the commitment to further collaboration. This visit provided a valuable opportunity to deepen cooperation between the parties involved.