02573nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653003800054653002900092653005100121653003700172653001900209100001400228700001500242700001600257700001300273700001300286700001100299700001200310700001200322700001300334245013000347856010400477520170000581022001402281       2022                            d  c09/202210aintegrated interventions, mapping10aMass drug administration10amorbidity management and disability prevention10askin-neglected tropical diseases10aSocial science1 aSimpson H1 aMengiste A1 aMbonigaba J1 aKollie K1 aNganda M1 aDean L1 aArgaw D1 aDavey G1 aSemrau M00aResearch priorities to support the development of integrated national strategies to control skin-neglected tropical diseases.  uhttps://academic.oup.com/trstmh/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/trstmh/trac086/45967061/trac086.pdf3 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Skin-presenting neglected tropical diseases (skin-NTDs) impose large burdens on affected people, families and communities. The NTD Roadmap 2021-2030 presents a strategic plan to guide collaborative, multisectoral action to overcome these burdens, defining targets to control, eliminate and/or eradicate skin-NTDs by 2030. One of its targets is for 40 countries to adopt integrated skin-NTD strategies. Despite this high-level support for integration, only four countries were implementing integrated skin-NTD strategies in 2020.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We hosted workshops at the 2021 annual meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs, to discuss the operationalisation of Roadmap goals into national strategies and interventions for skin-NTD control. Speakers included NTD Programme Managers from NTD-endemic countries, technical experts and researchers of different aspects of skin-NTDs.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Challenges include community perceptions of interventions, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of integrated care, availability and accessibility of community-based and primary healthcare services, the quality of data on skin-NTD morbidity and changes to operational structures required for integration. Research priorities included the identification of optimal case detection platforms, evaluation of integrated care, understanding the impacts of integration on community members and community health staff and development of point-of-care diagnostics.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The operational research priorities are intended to support the scale-up of integrated skin-NTDs programmes.</p>
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