Act | West Program Reflects on Five Years of Progress
Health worker sits with a family. The father is drinking out of a cup after taking some meds, which the worker has in his hands.
Health worker sits with a family. The father is drinking out of a cup after taking some meds, which the worker has in his hands.  
In February 2023, USAID extended its Act to End NTDs | West Program for three years, through July 2026. As the Program begins its fifth year, we recognize the progress and accomplishments that has been made to date since the beginning of the program in 2018.

Since the start of Act | West, the 11 portfolio countries in West Africa have made huge strides in disease elimination and control and NTD program sustainability. This webpage takes stock of work done across countries in these two areas of the program.

Below is our progress against lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, onchocersiasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis along with progress made toward NTD sustainability. 
Progress towards disease elimination and control
Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)
  • 86.04 million treatments given (across Act | West countries) for LF since 2018.
  • 4 countries - where all endemic districts have stopped MDA and are now under surveillance
  • 135,494,2367 people no longer at risk for LF
  • 619 districts that have stopped mass drug administration (MDA) for LF
Trachoma
  • 17.42 million treatments given (across Act | West countries) for trachoma since 2018
  • 139 districts in post-MDA surveillance for trachoma (where trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) was <5% among children ages 1-9 during trachoma surveillance survey, which was conducted at least 30 months since the last MDA)
  • 289 districts that have stopped mass drug administration (MDA) for trachoma
  • 78,072,695 people no longer at risk for trachoma
Onchocerciasis

17.42 million treatments given (across the countries) for OV since 2018

505 districts that have been treated at least once since 2018

Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis (STH)
  • 58.20 million of treatments given (across the countries) for STH since 2018
  • 4 countries have moved to sub-district mass drug administration (MDA) (Benin, Mali, Togo, Sierra Leone)
  • 2 countries (Burkina Faso, Mali) have stopped MDA for STH
  • 6 countries have conducted STH impact assessments since December 2021 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo).
Schistosomiasis (SCH)
  • 49.64 million treatments given (across the countries) for schistosomiasis since 2018
  • 4 countries have moved to sub-district mass drug administration (Benin, Mali, Togo, Sierra Leone)
  • 7 countries have conducted schistosomiasis impact assessments since December 2021 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.)
  • 2 countries have established SCH expert committees (Ghana, Togo)
Notable Country-Specific Progress for Onchoceriasis
  • Niger will submit its OV elimination dossier in the first quarter of FY2023 following the next expert elimination committee meeting
  • Senegal has stopped OV MDA in all endemic districts following the FY23 MDA that occurred in December 2022
  • Togo has stopped MDA in the maritimes region in FY2023
Progress towards NTD program sustainability
  • 9 countries have developed NTDs sustainability plans since 2018 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)
  • 5 country governments have politically validated their NTDs sustainability plans (Cote d’Ivoire in 2020, Senegal in 2020, Togo in 2021, Ghana in 2022, Niger in 2022)
  • 6 countries have created, through ministerial decree, a multisectoral committees for implementing NTD program sustainability plans since 2018 (Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)
  • 4 countries have conducted a high-level stakeholders engagement for domestic resources mobilization to secure financial support for sustaining NTD program work (Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Niger)
  • 5 countries have moved forward to integrate NTD related disabilities (MMDP) into the national health insurance/UHC package of services
  • 11 countries have integrated NTDs data and indicators into the MOHs data repository platform (DHIS-2; DHIMS-2) - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.