No More Neglecting: Act to End NTDs|East Uses CLA to Support NTDs during COVID-19

As COVID-19 surged around the world in early 2020, countries initially halted their neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs under guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). Now, with WHO guidance, countries are restarting NTD activities, recognizing that their safe continuation is essential to further progress against these diseases and to improve the health of vulnerable people around the world.

To help countries restart Neglected Tropical Disease programs while keeping staff and communities safe, USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)|East program employed an intentional CLA approach focused on:
1. Collaborating to integrate COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and resources into “practical approaches” resources for implementing NTD programming amidst COVID-19
2. Fostering rapid feedback loops to share learnings and adaptations throughout the program as activities restart
3. Disseminating learnings through internal and external knowledge management

As a global program spanning 13 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean with nearly 100 staff and nine consortium partners, maintaining feedback loops and ensuring access to learning can be challenging even during normal times. Using an intentional CLA approach, Act | East was able to successfully support countries to restart NTD programming, shared lessons rapidly across the portfolio and greater NTD community to ensure evidence-based adaptive management, and create a space for ongoing learning and knowledge management.