Recognising the potential of neglected tropical disease programmes as a platform for pandemic preparedness: the Ascend experience

Living in an increasingly interconnected world, epidemics and pandemics are increasingly likely to be a vista for the future. This commentary describes how the Ascend West and Central Africa programme was able to leverage its resources and platforms in coordination with other partners to help address the immediate needs of countries to arrest the spread of COVID-19.

The authors highlight the need to scale up investment in prevention and preparedness strategies, recognise the untapped potential of the NTD platform and realise the value of innovation, multisector partnerships and resilience.

This article is part of a special supplement in International Health focusing on the Ascend neglected tropical disease programme in West and Central Africa. You can access the other articles in the supplement on the International Health website.