In many parts of Kenya, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) don’t make headlines. They don’t always look urgent from a distance. But in the villages and communities affected they quietly shape daily life. They keep children out of school, slow down livelihoods, and trap families in cycles of illness and poverty. For those who suffer from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) their impact is deeply experienced the more reason why World NTD Day is so important.
On January 30, 2026, Kenya joined the rest of the world to mark the day under the global theme
“Unite, Act, Eliminate” with the county’s core strategic narrative “Evidence to Action: Policy to People”. There is renewed commitment from leadership both at national and county levels collaborating with partners and other stakeholders, to continue the fight and improve the systems that determine whether medicines actually reach the people who need them with emphasis to have a keen consideration on cross border communities. This year’s national commemoration took place at KCB Grounds in Kajiado County with county leaders, national government representatives, health workers, partners, and community members.
Over the years, Kenya has made key progress, earning World Health Organization (WHO) certification for eliminating both Guinea worm disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) as public health problems milestones worth celebrating. The push to achieve last-mile delivery is however consistently hindered by several challenges, including frequent stockouts, delivery delays, and a lack of clear data visibility across supply chains and when supply chains fail, the consequences are felt most acutely and immediately by the most remote and vulnerable communities.
That’s why one of the key moments during the Kajiado commemoration was the launch of the Training Package for the Supply Chain Management of NTD Health Products and Technologies. inSupply Health through the JSI-led Supply Chain Technical Support Mechanism for NTD Medicines (SCTSM) project developed the practical, hands-on tool to build the capacity of healthcare workers at all levels. The training package will enable Health workers to be equipped to:
- Forecast needs accurately.
- Manage stock confidently.
- Use data to make decisions.
- Prevent wastages and stockouts.
- Ensure medicines arrive where and when they’re needed.
“With the launch of this training package, we aim to strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals to deliver NTD interventions efficiently and sustainably, contributing to Kenya’s goal of eliminating NTDs.” – Joseph Githaiga, Workforce Optimization, Manager, inSupply Health
This year’s World NTD Day was a reminder of what still needs to be done and a reflection of the importance of sustaining the gains achieved. Globally, 58 countries have now eliminated at least one NTD, putting the world more than halfway toward the ambitious WHO target of 100 countries by 2030.
