When challenges arise, innovation leads: Mauritania's response to the NTD funding crisis

By Aparna Barua

The need to ensure sustainable funding for NTD programmes has never been greater. As international funding for neglected tropical diseases faces unprecedented cuts, health leaders from across Mauritania gathered in July for a two-day workshop facilitated by Unlimit Health, with one clear mission: to find homegrown, innovative solutions that could sustain their fight against diseases that affect the world’s most marginalised populations. This wasn’t just another workshop – it was a testament to the power of country ownership and local innovation in global health. 

When the going gets tough, countries get creative 

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over one billion people worldwide. These are diseases like schistosomiasis, transmitted through contaminated water, that can cause lifelong disabilities if left untreated. For countries like Mauritania, where multiple NTDs are endemic, dwindling donor support has prompted a bold shift towards self-reliance.   

Mauritania’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Unlimit Health, are embarking on an ambitious journey to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) – a strategy to fund and sustain their NTD programmes using local partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms. 

Country-led solutions in action 

To facilitate the DRM conversations, a recent two-day workshop in July 2025, brought together people from across sectors – government officials, World Bank representatives, private sector partners, research and academia to co-create a roadmap centred on Mauritania’s own priorities. 

“The enthusiasm and engagement we witnessed was extraordinary,” reflects Dr. Barro Abass, Mauritania’s National NTD Programme Coordinator. “Despite the challenges we face, there’s a real sense of urgency and determination to find solutions that work for our context.” 

Mauritania recently achieved WHO validation for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. This remarkable achievement demonstrates strong programme implementation capacity and cross-sectoral collaboration across eye health, NTDs and the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. The country also has an emerging Skin Disease Foundation, backed by private philanthropists, that could become a key partner in addressing skin-related NTDs like leprosy and mycetoma. Bringing together this experience and knowledge, the workshop revealed significant opportunities often overlooked in traditional funding approaches. 

Strengthening systems from within 

Unlimit Health’s support goes far beyond funding. It builds the advocacy, data systems, and strategic partnerships that enable sustainable, country-owned responses to health challenges. 

Through capacity building and technical support, Unlimit Health supports health ministries to develop compelling investment cases, track government commitments, and engage new players like private companies operating in endemic regions. By creating an inclusive space for true innovation and collaboration to flourish, Unlimit Health can unlock solutions to complex and context-driven challenges. In Mauritania, this includes leveraging corporate social responsibility commitments from mining companies and strengthening partnerships with foundations, in-country actors already working in the health sector. 

“What’s exciting about this work is that it’s fundamentally about empowerment,” explains Aparna Barua Adams, Senior Advocacy Advisor, Unlimit Health. “We’re not bringing external solutions – we’re supporting countries to identify and activate their own resources and partnerships.” 

Evidence-based advocacy for maximum impact 

One of the workshop’s key outcomes was the recognition that effective DRM requires high-quality data and strategic communication. Mauritania identified the need to integrate NTD indicators into their national health information system and develop targeted advocacy messages for different stakeholder groups. 

This evidence-based approach ensures that advocacy efforts are grounded in real needs and demonstrable impacts. When health officials can show concrete progress – like the number of children treated for intestinal worms or communities with improved access to clean water – it becomes much easier to make the case for sustained investment. 

A multi-sector movement 

Perhaps most encouraging was the workshop’s emphasis on multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration. NTDs are fundamentally diseases of poverty and inequality, requiring responses that go beyond the health sector. The roadmap developed by participants includes creating a coordination platform that brings together ministries.  

This integrated approach, linking health, education, water and sanitation, and environment, ensures that NTD control addresses the root causes like poverty and inequality. By fostering these cross-sector partnerships at the country level, DRM can leverage investments across multiple government departments and development priorities. 

Integration will also support the efficiency of various components within the health system. Service delivery can be coordinated to optimise the capacity of the health workforce, procurement can be streamlined to be as cost-effective as possible across all sectors, and most importantly, the community can be at the centre where systems work for their needs, limiting opportunity costs of accessing services. 

Looking ahead 

The Mauritania workshop generated several strategic interventions, from advocating for dedicated budget lines to engaging philanthropic foundations and establishing multi-sectoral coordination platforms. But perhaps more importantly, it demonstrated a methodology that could be adapted by other countries facing similar challenges. 

As Dr. Barro noted, “This isn’t just about finding more money – it’s about changing how we think about sustainability and country ownership in global health.” 

Additional workshops are being planned to build on the momentum generated. These early wins demonstrate the power of bringing people together around a shared vision and clear action plan. 

The path forward 

The work in Mauritania represents a new paradigm in global health support – one that prioritises country leadership, local, context-specific innovation, and sustainable financing mechanisms. As international funding becomes increasingly constrained, these approaches offer hope that progress against NTDs can continue through homegrown solutions and strategic partnerships. 

For Unlimit Health, this work exemplifies our commitment to supporting countries to strengthen and accelerate their capacity for long-term success. By investing in local systems, creating space for sustainable partnerships, and strengthening advocacy capabilities, we’re helping ensure that the fight against NTDs remains strong, even as the global funding landscape shifts. 

The message from Mauritania is clear: with local leadership and the right support, sustainable health solutions are not only possible, they are transformative.