Securing innovative, sustainable financing options for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remains a challenge, and strategies to improve aspects such as procurement are very much needed.

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium was represented at the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Meeting in Nagasaki on 12 May.

January 30 marks World NTD Day, an annual awareness day that draws attention to the inequalities of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like schistosomiasis.

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium is pleased to announce that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated for review the application for our potential new treatment option for schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children (3 months to 6 years of age). 

Members of the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium have been present at various international meetings lately presenting the work of the Consortium to research and funding partners.

Jutta Reinhard-Rupp, Chair of the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium Board and Head of the Global Health Institute at Merck, looks back at the Consortium’s journey to date in bridging the treatment gap for preschool-age children infected with schistosomiasis.

The GHIT Fund invests in global research & development partnerships through a grant-making mechanism to advance Japan’s contribution to global health. Since 2014, GHIT has been supporting the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium through five awarded grants.

Benjamin Daelken, Senior Director, Global Program Lead of the Consortium and Global Program Lead Immunology & Global Health at Merck, reflects on the progress made over the last year for the Consortium’s Development program, summarizing the key steps moving forward.

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium's access program, ADOPT, aims to introduce the potential new pediatric drug into routine practice in endemic countries once registered. Peter Steinmann from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Jennifer Burrill from the SCI Foundation, who are co-leading the ADOPT program, reflect on the milestones of the past year.

Beyond our involvement at the 2022 Geneva Health Forum on 3-5 May, the Consortium has been and will be featured at other international scientific and global health conferences this year.

Following the workshops in Côte d'Ivoire and

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium has once again been featured as a success story – this time by the European Commission.

Today is International Day of the African Child. As a Consortium working to reduce the global disease burden of schistosomiasis – a preventable and treatable neglected tropical disease most commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa – this awareness day is close to our hearts.

The 2022 Geneva Health Forum – a gathering of key actors in the global health space – took place on 3-5 May. Our Consortium partner, Merck, sponsored the event. In addition to organizing a booth showcasing the work of the Consortium, Merck also hosted a session on 4 May titled “Building strong partnerships to end the neglected tropical disease, schistosomiasis”.

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium has been featured in the latest issue of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) e-Magazine, with a focus on the work of the Consortium and interviews with two of our project members, Maurice Odiere (Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)) and Beatrice Greco (Merck).