London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Could you briefly describe your current work and the main areas of NTD research or advocacy you are focused on at the moment?

I am the Africa Ambassador for the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). In this role, I engage African policy leaders and other stakeholders to support their efforts towards improving universal health coverage, access to treatment and eliminating neglected diseases. My work focuses on building meaningful partnerships and collaborations for research and development that deliver the best treatments for the most neglected patients. The diseases I concentrate on include leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, mycetoma, filarial diseases, and dengue. These conditions disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, yet they receive limited attention and resources.

I also work to ensure better policies for neglected patients at local, regional, and global levels, bringing Africa's voice and priorities into critical conversations about health equity and innovation

You have played a central role in advancing research and clinical trials for neglected tropical diseases in East Africa. What progress are you most proud of, and where do the biggest challenges remain?

The creation of DNDi 22 years ago was a proud moment for me because this is an institution specifically focused on neglected diseases and improving outcomes for people affected by them. I'm particularly proud of our work in establishing the Leishmaniasis East Africa Platform (LEAP), which I chaired, bringing together partners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda. Before LEAP, clinical trials for leishmaniasis were fragmented or non-existent. We changed that. We built capacity for clinical trials in the most remote areas; trained clinical teams; and improved research infrastructure. As a result, we delivered world-class clinical trials in the most remote places, and the results from those trials have influenced national guidelines and policy changes up to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Last year, seeing Eastern African health ministers come together to sign a memorandum of understanding to eliminate leishmaniasis in the region was profoundly moving. DNDi has also delivered new treatments for other neglected diseases which are currently being used to treat patients globally.

The challenges, however, remain. First, funding is increasingly scarce as priorities shift elsewhere. African governments face impossible choices with limited budgets stretched across competing priorities, and NTDs are starting to fall under the radar. We need sustained funding. Second, policy change often lags frustratingly behind research evidence, sometimes taking years longer than necessary. Now climate change threatens to expand disease vectors into new regions, potentially reversing decades of progress.

As World NTD Day approaches on 30 January, what do you think is most important for the global health community to understand about the realities of tackling NTDs in low- and middle-income countries?

The global health community needs to understand that we're dealing with the most vulnerable populations – especially women and children. These people are not just battling diseases with inadequate, inaccessible, or non-existent treatments; they are trying to survive. These are communities without reliable food or water supplies, without political voices, and where NTDs are just one crisis among many. Patients often seek treatment late because they're prioritising basic survival, and when they do reach health facilities, it is often too late to save them. The health systems are fragmented with inadequate diagnostics and treatments. This is why our research focuses on developing oral treatments that can reach people where they are – in their communities, at the point of care. Tackling NTDs requires sustained, substantial investment – not just for diagnosis, treatment, or elimination, but to build research capacity, strengthen health systems, and support communities holistically. These patients deserve the same innovation and access as anyone else but achieving that equity demands far greater commitment than many realise.

How has your time at LSHTM influenced your approach to infectious disease research, leadership, or collaboration across the global NTD community?

My time at LSHTM gave me a strong foundation in rigorous research methodology and opened doors for me. After completing my PhD, supervised by Professor Keith McAdam and Dr John Raynes, I was identified as a Principal Investigator for one of the first major WHO-TDR clinical trials on liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) for visceral leishmaniasis – a multi-country, multi-centre collaboration with India, Brazil, and Kenya. Without my LSHTM training, I doubt I would have been chosen for that role. That trial taught me the power of international collaboration and created the foundation for my scientific leadership.

LSHTM's influence extends far beyond my own credentials. When we established LEAP, we lacked capacity for data management and analysis. LSHTM's Department of Epidemiology, led by Professor Peter Smith, helped us build our data centre and trained our teams. When we needed to ensure diagnostic consistency across trial sites, we collaborated with an LSHTM technologist to blindly read parasitology slides and confirm data accuracy.

LSHTM taught me that acquiring scientific knowledge is not enough. Collaboration, sharing knowledge and information, building capacity and trust, ensuring quality, and creating dependable partnerships and sustainable systems in low-and-middle income countries are key.

Any final thoughts?

As an African scientist, I've witnessed significant progress in NTD research and innovation on the continent, but much more needs to be done. This requires sustained domestic and global investment, backed by political will and action. African governments must prioritise NTDs and cannot rely solely on external donors. After all, it is the wearer of the shoe that knows where it hurts!

The challenges are compounding. COVID-19, mpox, and emerging infectious diseases remind us that we must tackle NTDs while simultaneously preparing for future pandemics if we are to achieve universal health coverage and leave no one behind.

This demands training the next generation of African scientists in research and innovation, building genuine partnerships based on trust and equity, strengthening data sharing systems, and investing in robust health infrastructure. Most crucially, we need increased funding – both global and domestic – to sustain this work. The elimination of NTDs is achievable, but only through our collective commitment.

Dr Wasunna’s LinkedIn