03.07.2026

Summer Reception 2026 Highlights Global Responsibility for Health

photocredit: DNTDs

Berlin, 23 June 2026 – This year's Summer Reception of the German Network Against Neglected Tropical Diseases focused on international partnerships, scientific collaboration, and shared global responsibility. At the heart of the evening was the discussion of how sustainable progress in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) can be achieved through long-term cooperation between policymakers, researchers, and affected countries. The guest of honour was Prof. Dr. Ohene Adjei, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to Germany. A renowned tropical medicine specialist and parasitologist, Prof. Adjei brings decades of experience in research, teaching, and healthcare and has maintained close scientific ties with Germany through numerous collaborative projects.

Health as the Foundation for Stability and Development

The Summer Reception was hosted under the patronage of Member of the German Bundestag Sascha van Beek, Chair of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Neglected Tropical Diseases. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized the crucial role of resilient health systems in ensuring social stability and economic development. Health, he noted, is not only essential for improving living conditions locally but also for fostering reliable international partnerships and maintaining resilient global supply chains. Germany, he stressed, bears a particular responsibility in this regard, especially in connection with trade in strategically important raw materials.

Van Beek also highlighted the growing challenges posed by climate change. Disease-carrying vectors such as the Asian tiger mosquito are increasingly spreading across Europe and may contribute to the transmission of tropical diseases in the future. Despite these developments, keeping global health high on the political agenda remains difficult, particularly in light of pressing geopolitical priorities and shrinking public budgets.

Ghana Leading the Fight Against NTDs

In his keynote address, Prof. Adjei presented an impressive overview of Ghana's achievements in combating neglected tropical diseases. In recent years, the West African country has successfully eliminated trachoma, Guinea worm disease, and human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). Transmission of lymphatic filariasis has been interrupted in 109 of the country's 116 formerly endemic districts, while the elimination of onchocerciasis is also increasingly within reach. Education and training of health professionals, as well as NTD research, continue to be advanced at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR).

According to Prof. Adjei, these successes are the result of several key factors: a strong healthcare infrastructure, early diagnosis, and, above all, long-standing international research partnerships. At the same time, poverty and climate change remain the principal drivers of NTD transmission. "Diagnosis is the key. Only when diseases are detected early can they be effectively controlled," he emphasized.

International Partnerships as a Key to Success

Prof. Adjei made it clear that Ghana's progress would not have been possible without international cooperation. No country, he argued, can tackle global health challenges alone. Long-standing collaborations with German universities and research institutions—particularly in Bonn and Hamburg—have played a vital role in building scientific expertise, training health professionals, and establishing sustainable research structures. In the fight against neglected tropical diseases, mutual learning and joint research are indispensable. Partnerships based on equality are therefore not only a political aspiration but also a practical prerequisite for lasting success.

Prof. Adjei himself exemplifies the close scientific cooperation between Ghana and Germany. As former Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and former Deputy Director of the KCCR, he collaborated with research partners from Bonn and Hamburg for nearly two decades. In addition to his work on filarial diseases, he contributed to the development of what has become the standard treatment for Buruli ulcer.

Peace as a Prerequisite for Health

Alongside scientific and health policy issues, Prof. Adjei highlighted another essential factor: political stability. Sustainable health improvements, he noted, cannot be achieved without peace and functioning state institutions. "Peace is the foundation for everything else. Ghana is a blessed country—safe, stable, and governed by leaders who work closely with traditional authorities."

Shaping Global Responsibility Together

The Summer Reception underscored that the fight against neglected tropical diseases extends far beyond medicine. Health, peace, economic stability, climate change, and international cooperation are deeply interconnected. The event reaffirmed that sustainable progress can only be achieved through long-term partnerships and shared global responsibility.

The evening was moderated by Prof. Dr. Achim Hörauf, who collaborated with Prof. Adjei in Hamburg and later in Bonn and today continues to coordinate numerous research and training initiatives between Ghana and Germany.

Article source: DNTDs https://dntds.de/parliamentary-advisory-board.html