Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help (a) raise awareness of neglected tropical diseases and (b) tackle neglected tropical diseases.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's new Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis in Africa programme (ELFA), that will receive £15 million of funding from 2024-25 to 2026-27, supports the broader Reaching the Last Mile Fund initiative to eliminate the neglected tropical diseases lymphatic filariasis and river blindness from Africa by 2030. Part of the programme supports work to raise awareness and change behaviours in order to reduce the impact of lymphatic filariasis. The FCDO is also in the process of renewing funding for research and development through Product Development Partnerships including for neglected tropical diseases.