914Progress towards achieving the 2020 goals for Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Asia-Pacific region

Abstract Focus and outcomes for participants Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of communicable diseases caused by a variety of infectious agents including virus, bacteria and parasites. They are prevalent in 149 countries in the tropics and affect more than one billion people living in disadvantaged communities, further limiting their social and economic development. For several NTDs, including the ones that are the focus of this symposium, the main strategy for control consists of preventive chemotherapy: the large-scale administration of drugs to entire communities or specific population groups, without prior individual diagnosis. In this symposium we will present the progress made in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region towards the control of 5 NTDs (lymphatic filariasis, scabies, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths and trachoma) largely through the scale-up of preventive chemotherapy. We will also describe the contribution of operational research to optimise control and elimination of these infections. At the end of the symposium, participants will be able to: Rationale for the symposium, including for its inclusion in the In 2012 the World Health Organization endorsed ambitious targets towards control and elimination of NTDs. to be reached by the end of 2020. Although not all of those targets will be reached there was remarkable progress in coverage of preventive chemotherapy worldwide with millions of doses of medications such as albendazole, ivermectin and ddiethylcarbamazine distributed annually or bi-annually to populations at risk. In early 2020 WHO released the new roadmap for NTDs, that sets new targets to achieve by 2030. Developed with extensive stakeholder consultation this roadmap aims to build on the momentum created since 2012 to further advance the progress made against NTDs. This symposium will review the current burden of NTDs in the region, summarise the successes achieved and present evidence from operational research that is contributing to the achievement of the WHO targets. Presentation program Names of presenters Associate Professor Susana Vaz Nery, The Kirby Institute – University of New South Wales Professor John Kaldor, The Kirby Institute – University of New South Wales Associate Professor Colleen Lau, Research School of Population Health – Australian National University Professor Andrew Steer, Murdoch Children's Research Institute Professor Vicente J Belizario, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila Names of facilitator or chair Associate Professor Susana Vaz Nery