RECENT ACTIVITIES
Announcing the Sixth Cohort of the Small Grant Program
The African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD) together with the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Disease (COR-NTD) are delighted to present the nine recipients of the 2023 African Researchers’ Small Grants Program (SPG VI).
Congratulations to the researchers who have been selected for funding to enable them pilot context-driven initiatives to combat NTDs in their communities.
MEMBERS' PUBLICATIONS
PERSONALITY PROFILE
SGP Spotlight: How a Modest Investment is Supporting Homegrown Science in Benin and Beyond
Pelagie Boko-Collins’ work represents the many success stories of the USAID-funded Small Grant Program. Her impactful work in lymphatic filariasis shows how funding support and mentorship are critical to developing African scientists.
Personality of the Month: Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed.
Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed is currently the head of the Virology lab at the University of Goettingen, Germany and a visiting professor at Cairo University, Egypt.
In this video, four members of the previous cohort, SGP II, give their perspectives on the program, which is supported by the USAID and UKaid from the British Government and administered by the ARNTD through grants to the COR-NTD.
OPPORTUNITIES
NEWS
Celebrating Five Years of the African Researcher’s Small Grants Program
In the five years of its inception, the SGP has received about 1446 applications with 66 scientists awarded through the five cohorts. With close to $1.5 million in research funds disbursed, many young African scientists are contributing to research that removes barriers to elimination in their home countries. Through this partnership the SGP initiative is influencing NTD research policy directions to meet the targeted goals in the 2030 WHO NTD Roadmap.
Neglected tropical diseases are the landmines of global health
ARNTD Executive Director John Amuasi and Albert Picado of FIND in a feature on The Guardian have described NTDs as the landmines of global health, thus requiring the attention of all stakeholders to invest in their control and elimination.
About Neglected Tropical Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.
ARNTD Member wins the ultimate prize for NTD Innovation for 2020
American Leprosy Missions announced the winners of the 2020 NTD Innovation Prize. The first-place award of $20,000 went to ARNTD member Dr. Hugues Nana Djeunga and M. Arnauld Efon Ekangouo at the Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT) in Yaounde, Cameroon. Their project will explore the potential of cell-free DNA as a biomarker to diagnose onchocerciasis.