What does it take to eliminate preventable diseases for good? That question brought more than 50 countries together in October in Kampala for the 2025 conference of the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN). With a focus on sustainable innovations, the three-day event highlighted the systems, strategies, and partnerships needed to create long-term impact.
NALA brought insights grounded in field experience and systems thinking: Fikre Seife co-led a regional workshop on sustaining progress in low-endemic areas, highlighting the risk of resurgence without continued investment in prevention. Bisrat Molla shared findings from a study with taro farmers, showing how livelihoods shape disease exposure and why community realities must guide interventions. Michal Bruck presented NALA’s early-stage work on an AI-powered tool to support faster hotspot detection for schistosomiasis, sparking discussion on how digital tools can serve local decision-making. Together, these contributions pushed for practical solutions that keep prevention at the center.
We were also extremely proud to see our Head of Operations, Dorin Brener Turgeman, help plan, organize and lead this year’s event in her role as Chair of the NNN. Her dedication to advancing the global NTD agenda inspires our team every day!
The conference reaffirmed what we already believe at NALA: ending preventable diseases is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration across borders, sectors, and disciplines. As sustainable change becomes the goal for all of us, prevention must be part of the plan from the start, and that is the work we will keep showing up to do.