Every year, the NNN Conference is more than just a gathering—it’s a spark for innovation and collaboration. In 2025, amid overlapping health and humanitarian crises, the conference in Uganda ignited fresh ideas, strengthened partnerships, and highlighted new approaches for the global NTD community.
For Effect Hope, it offered a valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to shaping the future of neglected tropical disease (NTD) services.
A Global Community United for Impact
This year’s theme, “Sustainable Innovations for Impact – Transforming the Fight Against NTDs,” set the tone for a conference that merged sustainability, innovation, and real-world impact. Over 50 countries were represented, and the energy in every session was palpable: people affected by NTDs, technical experts, and global leaders came together to co-create solutions to gaps in health equity and NTD care.
NNN is where collaboration happens. Every year, new partnerships are forged, and fresh approaches are born. Right now, this spirit of unity and creativity is more vital than ever.
Centering People Affected by NTDs
From the opening plenary, voices of people living with NTDs were front and center. Their message was clear: “Nothing about us without us” as they advocated for power and paradigm shifts. Inclusion isn’t just consultation—it’s active, ongoing participation at every stage.
Effect Hope’s recent study in Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with the Leprosy Research Initiative and COPTIMENT, demonstrates how meaningful inclusion can be achieved:
- Engage people affected by NTDs directly in program design and implementation.
- Train and support affected individuals to lead advocacy.
- Create toolkits and partnerships to scale up inclusive strategies.
- Build systems for ongoing engagement and support.
- Run community campaigns to reduce stigma.
Integration: Building Resilient Health Systems
Integration was a rallying cry throughout the conference. Effect Hope co-led a workshop on Integrated Management of NTDs alongside Unlimit Health and the Ugandan Ministry of Health exploring how resilient health systems are essential for sustainable NTD control—especially in a global funding crisis.
“Integration can be daunting – but it’s essential.” — Mary Ellen Sellers, Senior Manager of International Programs, Effect Hope
Mary Ellen’s insights resonated during the panel discussion, where she emphasized how proactive collaboration can make integration not only possible but sustainable. Drawing on the ASPIRE program in Bihar, India, she outlined three essential keys to sustainability:
- Engage government stakeholders early. Effective collaboration takes time, so plan ahead.
- Maintain dialogue at all levels of government. Broad engagement ensures alignment and support.
- Align project design with government guidelines, plans, and policies. Building projects in harmony with existing frameworks strengthens long-term sustainability.
Community Voices: Co-Creating Lasting Change
On day 2, workshop 3.2—From the Ground Up: Models and Approaches for Integration of Community Perspectives and Groups—was a true collaborative effort, designed and delivered by Effect Hope alongside LEPRA Society, Lepra, ILEP – International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, German Leprosy & TB Relief Association India, The Leprosy Mission Great Britain, Addis Ababa University, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
Together, we brought public health programmers, affected communities, researchers, and policy specialists into a shared space to co-create strategies that embed community voices—especially those of people affected by stigmatizing skin-NTDs—into national policies, programs, and strategies.
The workshop was a testament to what’s possible when organizations unite around a shared vision: ensuring that lived experience and community perspectives are not just included, but are central to shaping the future of NTD responses.
The workshop focused on co-creation at every stage:
- Shaping the UPLIFT harmonized model for Community-Based Groups (CBGs): Participants collaborated to define a scalable, operational model for CBGs that can be adapted across diverse settings. The goal: ensure that lived experience drives program design and delivery, not just consultation.
- Visual mapping of barriers and opportunities: Attendees worked together to create visual maps that identified both obstacles and pathways to authentic inclusion. These maps became actionable frameworks for embedding lived experience into global NTD responses.
- Developing frameworks for lasting change: The session emphasized sustainability, community ownership, and scalability—ensuring that solutions are not only effective but also enduring.
Throughout, the voices of those affected by NTDs were not just heard—they were central. The workshop underscored that real integration means moving beyond tokenism to genuine partnership, where people affected by NTDs are leaders and co-creators.
Dr. Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, UN Special Rapporteur on discrimination against persons with leprosy, powerfully reminded us:
“Participatory action research is essential. It means working with people, not on people.”
She further emphasized that unless we frame issues related to NTDs within a human rights perspective, our work remains partial if our goal is true social transformation. This call to action resonated throughout the session, reinforcing that the fight against NTDs must be rooted in dignity, equity, and justice.
The UPLIFT project, developed in collaboration with Lepra, LEPRA Society, ILEP, and DAHW, exemplifies this approach. UPLIFT is an operational research study designed to define a harmonized and scalable model for Community-Based Groups globally. The scoping review conducted as part of UPLIFT maps out best practices and identifies gaps in current models—underscoring the urgent need for integrated, person-centered care.
Learn more about the UPLIFT study: HERE
Read the scoping review: HERE
Ultimately, the workshop underscored the power of community-driven change. By placing lived experience and human rights at the heart of our work, we take a vital step toward a future where NTD programs are not only effective but truly transformative.
Skin Health for All: A New Global Priority
A landmark resolution, “Skin diseases as a global public health priority,” was adopted at WHA78 in May 2025. At the Skin-NTD symposium, participants developed an action plan to advance this resolution, calling for:
- Increased research capacity
- Closing knowledge gaps
- Strong voices for people affected
- Meaningful capacity building
Looking Forward: Inspiration and Action
Leaving NNN 2025, we’re inspired by the energy, ideas, and partnerships that emerged. The conversations around collaboration, integration, and technology point to a future where innovation will drive significant change.
NNN is more than a conference—it’s a movement. It’s where vision meets action, and ideas turn into impact. In a world defined by complexity and change, this spirit of collaboration and innovation isn’t just valuable—it’s essential.
