REMAPSEN Rallies African Journalists To Drive Fight Against NTDs

The African Media Network for Health and Environment (REMAPSEN) has launched the fourth edition of its annual Media Forum, renewing its call for stronger media engagement in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) across the continent.

The virtual launch, held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, brought together more than 100 journalists, civil society groups, health experts, and development partners from across Africa.

Speakers at the event stressed that eliminating NTDs; diseases that disproportionately affect poor and marginalised communities, requires more than medical interventions, adding that sustained media coverage and compelling storytelling are critical to reducing stigma, increasing awareness, and mobilising political will.

NTDs, which include river blindness, leprosy, dengue, rabies, schistosomiasis, trachoma, yaws and lymphatic filariasis, remain preventable and treatable yet continue to burden millions across tropical regions.

Director of Partnership and Development at Speak Up Africa, Yaye Sophiétou Diop, said media attention plays a direct role in shaping political priorities.

“What journalists write about Neglected Tropical Diseases impacts political decisions and policies,” she noted, urging reporters to use the forum to shift public perception and strengthen advocacy for action.

Public health expert, Dr. Christian Johnson, reinforced the need for journalists to keep NTDs firmly on national and regional agendas, while Programme Manager at the Civil Society Institute for Health in West and Central Africa (CSIH-WCA), Fatou Ndow, highlighted the importance of collaborations between media and civil society groups. She noted that powerful community stories often go unheard without media amplification.

The World Health Organisation’s Resident Representative in Benin, Dr. Kouamé Jean Konan, called for structured engagement with REMAPSEN, saying: “It is your reporting and analysis that will show the extent of the challenges Africa faces.”

WHO’s Team Lead for the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of NTDs (ESPEN), Dr. Maria Rebollo Polo, revealed that donor funding cuts had disrupted medicine distribution in rural communities. However, she noted a growing trend of African governments stepping in with new investments and homegrown solutions.

Also speaking, Chair of Galien Africa and former minister, Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck, said eliminating NTDs must be central to Africa’s pursuit of health sovereignty and sustainable development.

Across the discussions, speakers urged journalists to move away from pity-driven narratives and instead spotlight stories of progress, resilience, innovation and community-led change.

The REMAPSEN Media Forum aims to build the capacity of journalists to reshape public discourse, influence policy, and accelerate Africa’s progress toward eliminating NTDs.

The organisers said the renewed media push comes at a crucial time, as the continent works toward global NTD targets and seeks sustainable, locally driven solutions to protect vulnerable populations.