Technical requirements

Scientific understanding

• Thorough understanding of disease epidemiology and pathology
• No gaps in research that would hinder progress towards achieving targets
• Understanding of the non-target effects of interventions (e.g. ancillary benefits, environmental effects)

• Availability of point-of-care diagnostics (where appropriate) usable at community level and in low-resource settings
• Availability of effective, standardized, affordable diagnostics for timely detection, assessment of end-points, surveillance

•  Effective, affordable interventions for prevention, treatment, case management, rehabilitation and care
• Continued innovation and adaptation of interventions

Strategy and service delivery

• Clear definitions of end-points and operational approach to achieve and sustain them
• Availability of technical guidelines, e.g. for validation or verification
• Equitable access to interventions (e.g. by disadvantaged, vulnerable and inaccessible populations)

Planning, governance and programme implementation

• Alignment and coordination of work among relevant stakeholders to achieve overall goals and milestones, based on a strategic plan
• Appropriate country governance and commitment for programme management and effective delivery
• Clear stakeholder responsibilities and effective, coordinated working processes to implement relevant interventions
• Effective planning and implementation at the country level
• Safe administration of treatment, and diligent monitoring and response to adverse events

• NTD monitoring and evaluation framework and mechanisms to monitor and report progress towards stated goals
• Standardized mapping and impact assessment for detailed view of disease epidemiology and progression
• Continuous, systematic, institutionalized collection, analysis and interpretation of health data disaggregated by age, gender, location, supported by strong data management systems and tools to assist in data interpretation for informed decision-making at all levels
• Strengthened and institutionalized surveillance for the disease, including post-validation and elimination surveillance

• Adequate supply of affordable, quality-assured medicines, diagnostics and other medical products at all levels
• Efficient supply chain for effective allocation and distribution of medicines, diagnostics and other medical products where they are needed while minimizing wastage and loss, e.g. with modern online inventory management systems

Health care infrastructure and workforce

• Robust health systems and primary health care infrastructure for delivering NTD interventions in models of integrated patient care
• Laboratory capacity and network to support NTD programmes
• Aptly skilled health care workers, including community volunteers and community healers, to meet clinical, entomological and community needs

Enablers

• Clear identification of funding gaps, and resource mobilization plans to address them
• Effective policy dialogue and advocacy to mobilize support for interventions in national and district health care delivery plans
• Adequate international and domestic funding to ensure sustainability of programmes, deployed with adequate lead time and consistency

• Collaboration among stakeholders across levels and sectors with clear accountability to ensure an effective, synergetic approach to delivering interventions
• Involvement of communities at risk and affected communities, e.g. in programme design

• Capacity-building to ensure high-performing programmes, e.g. pre-deployment and in-service training, transfer of skills from vertical NTD programmes to primary health systems, plans to handle health worker attrition and retirement, sharing uptake of best practices
• Awareness-generation activities to educate and inform endemic communities, e.g. on behavioural changes, MDA scheduling, treatment and care options