Putting our values into practice: the NNN’s next chapter

Aparna Barua Adams, Senior Advocacy Advisor, Unlimit Health and Chair of the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) 

As I begin my term as Chair of the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN), I have been reflecting on how far the NNN has come and the responsibility we share for where it goes next.   

In the NNN’s early days in the early 2010’s, our meetings fitted comfortably into a single room. We were 30–35 people, drawn largely from NGOs based in high-income countries. Today the NNN is a global network of 114 member and observer organisations across six continents. When we meet, we are more than 350 people from over 50 countries, representing NGOs, research and academia, public and private sector, donors and philanthropies and communities affected by NTDs. That growth reflects something the NNN has always done well: adapting as the needs of the NTD community change. This year, that has been clearer than ever.  

Kigali 2026: values in practice 

The 17th annual NNN conference in Kigali, brought these constituencies together to explore how NTD responses can adapt through more integrated and holistic approaches.  

For me, one of the most significant aspects was the participation of people with lived experience of NTDs. Twenty-six delegates with lived experience attended, more than at any previous NNN conference. They shaped workshops and discussions, outlined their communities’ priorities, and served on the NNN conference committee, helping to design the programme itself.  I am deeply grateful for their contributions and recognise that this involvement must extend across everything the NNN does, not just at one event.  

A shift towards country ownership 

Kigali 2026 confirmed that the NNN is heading in the right direction: towards a network and community of practice that belongs to the people and countries most affected by NTDs, working alongside ministries of health and in-country stakeholders.  

This resonates deeply with Unlimit Health where I hold the role as Senior Advocacy Advisor. Country ownership is a key strategic shift for both entities, grounded in shared conviction that lasting progress depends on national and local leadership, local partnerships and community voice. This is also a wonderful example of how NNN members can support global agendas, committing resources to support the strategic leadership of the NNN to align on values, principles and shared priorities, creating pathways for collaboration and partnership that support communities affected by NTDs.  

A blueprint for the years ahead 

The NNN’s 2026–2030 strategic plan, A Blueprint for Action, sets out four pillars: amplifying voices and building bridges; generating and sharing evidence; influencing policy and practice; and sustaining and innovating. It also strengthens our role as a network that works year-round, building off the work showcase at the annual conference. 

As a practitioner-led network, the NNN holds a wealth of evidence from members who are implementing, reaching and advocating every day. That knowledge informs the global NTD community in real time, if we are proactive, responsive and adaptive in how we use it. 

Guiding a collective 

As Chair, I see my role as one of listening, observing and supporting NNN members to deepen their collective impact. This will involve helping members to translate the blueprint into shared progress. My priorities are to create more opportunities for organisations in NTD affected countries to lead the NNN’s work, to support meaningful participation by people with lived experience, and to help members turn evidence in to practice action. 

I am grateful that Unlimit Health is supporting the office of the NNN Chair throughout my term. This reflects Unlimit Health’s long-standing commitment to the NNN and to a collective, country-led approach to ending NTDs. Accountability to affected communities cannot be delivered by one organisation alone. It is through the network’s shared mechanisms that we can contribute to sustainable approaches that protect the impact of NTD interventions.  

Working together in an uncertain landscape 

The global health architecture and financing landscape is increasingly uncertain. However, it also makes space for more innovative and creativity in how we collaborate. For the NTD community, this sharpens the need to secure sustainable approaches that can be financed, make a compelling case for investment, mobilising all sources of financing, and find ways of working together and across sectors to make the best use of available resources.  

Integrated approaches was a central theme in Kigali. We explored how NTD programmes can work closely with other health services, water and sanitation initiatives, communities, and humanitarian responses. The forthcoming NNN Integration Statement will build on these discussions, and our working groups will help to translate them into guidance, tools, shared learning and stronger partnerships.  

The network will also keep growing where gaps emerge. I was encouraged by discussions in Kigali about forming a working group on climate change and NTDs, and I welcome the forthcoming statements on youth inclusion and on principles for engaging people with lived experience in operational research. 

A call to our community 

With the WHO NTD road map now past its halfway point, we must maintain momentum towards the 2030 targets and ready the community to inform what comes next. I invite you to:  

• Get involved. Join the NNN as a member, and contribute to a working group 

• Share what you know. Your evidence and learning will help the network influence policy and practice in real time.  

• Tell us what you need. Your feedback will shape how we deliver the blueprint together.