A new treatment for schistosomiasis offers hope for millions of preschool-aged children who have historically been left behind by treatment programmes, helping close a longstanding gap in access to care and improving child health. Photo: UNDP/Babacar Junior Fall.
Building on ongoing efforts to introduce a new treatment for schistosomiasis among preschool-aged children in five countries, the Arpraziquantel (arPZQ) Access Alliance has been launched to strengthen collaboration and support sustainable scale-up across Africa, helping translate this important health innovation into lasting public health impact.
Schistosomiasis is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, affecting more than 250 million people worldwide, with a particularly heavy burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Left untreated, it can cause anaemia, malnutrition, stunted growth and impaired cognitive development, particularly among young children. An estimated 50 million preschool-aged children have historically been left out of treatment programmes because existing medicines were not well suited to their needs, including challenges with tablet size, dosing and taste.
Developed specifically for preschoolers, arPZQ represents a significant advance in addressing this longstanding treatment gap. The treatment was developed by the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium under the leadership of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with support from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. It received a positive scientific opinion from the European Medicines Agency in 2023, was added to the WHO list of prequalified medicines in 2024 and included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children in 2025.
The Alliance, co-chaired by the UNDP and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), held its inaugural meeting on 14 October. The meeting brought together 27 participants from 16 organizations and institutions, including representatives from the governments of Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda, alongside international and regional organizations, research institutions and technical partners.
The Alliance was established in response to a need identified by country stakeholders for a common platform to exchange knowledge, align technical support and investment, and strengthen collaboration as countries transition from initial introduction towards sustainable and equitable scale-up.
“As countries move from the initial introduction of arpraziquantel towards wider scale-up, we have an important opportunity to build on what has already been achieved,” said Les Ong, Programme Manager of the Access and Delivery Partnership, UNDP. “This Alliance can help us work more effectively together, avoid duplication and accelerate sustainable access to treatment for young children.”
The Alliance builds on several years of collaboration among countries, researchers, product developers and development partners. In Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda, efforts to introduce arPZQ have included testing different delivery strategies, training health workers, engaging communities, integrating treatment into routine health services and initiating policy changes.
“By bringing countries and partners together to share knowledge and experiences, we can identify common challenges and work collectively to address them,” said Chimwemwe Chamdimba, Head of Health and Wellbeing at AUDA-NEPAD. “Whether it is strengthening policies, improving delivery systems or building capacity, this collaboration provides an opportunity to find practical solutions and achieve greater impact across the African continent.”
During the meeting, country representatives shared progress, lessons learned and priorities for the next phase. A key priority emerging from the discussions was the need to move beyond initial introduction towards wider, sustainable access for all children who need treatment. Countries highlighted several opportunities to achieving this, including integrating arPZQ into national health policies and programmes, developing plans for scale-up, mobilizing financing and strengthening the data and evidence needed to support advocacy and investment decisions.
Supported by UNDP’s Access and Delivery Partnership, the Alliance will facilitate collaboration across several priority areas, including policy integration, demand forecasting, evidence generation, technical assistance, sustainable financing and resource mobilization.
Technical partners also emphasized the importance of consolidating evidence generated through country implementation. While initial activities have provided valuable insights into the feasibility of introducing arPZQ and different strategies for delivering treatment, further evidence on cost effectiveness and public health impact will be important to inform national planning, investment decisions and sustainable scale-up.
Over the coming months, relevant stakeholders will work to refine a shared Alliance plan of action and establish priorities for 2027, identifying opportunities to strengthen coordination, address common challenges and support country-led scale-up.
Building on the progress already made, the Alliance will help countries and partners work towards a shared goal: ensuring that more preschoolers can access the schistosomiasis treatment they need.
About the Access and Delivery Partnership
The Access and Delivery Partnership (ADP) is a UNDP-led initiative supported by the Government of Japan. ADP works with countries and partners to strengthen health systems and accelerate equitable access to new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Through their longstanding collaboration, ADP and the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund connect innovation, access and delivery, helping translate investments in health innovation into sustainable public health impact while advancing universal health coverage (UHC) and human security.
About the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD)
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) is the development agency of the African Union. Its mandate is to support the implementation of Agenda 2063 by facilitating and coordinating regional and continental priority programmes and projects, and by promoting partnerships, resource mobilisation, research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD, African countries are afforded unique opportunities to take full control of their development agenda, work more closely together, and cooperate more effectively with international partners.
Through its Health and Wellbeing Cluster, AUDA-NEPAD supports African Union Member States in strengthening health systems, advancing health security and promoting equitable access to quality, safe and effective health products and services. The Cluster works to strengthen health policy, build institutional and human capacity, promote health innovation and facilitate strategic partnerships that advance sustainable health outcomes across the continent. By fostering regional collaboration, knowledge exchange and country-led solutions, the Cluster contributes to Africa's broader ambitions of achieving universal health coverage, strengthening health sovereignty and improving the health and wellbeing of African populations.