WHO NTDs Roadmap: Compendium of M&E Indicators

WHO has published A compendium of indicators for monitoring and evaluating progress of the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030. The compendium provides a comprehensive set of indicators to track the global effort to control and eliminate NTDs by 2030. They provide a common set of metrics for measuring progress, and help ensure that NTD programs are based on evidence and data.

Each indicator is presented using a standardised template that provides guidance on data sources and methodologies. Explanatory detail within the templates includes a clear definition of what is being measured, the unit of measurement including numerator and denominator when relevant, method of measurement or estimation, frequency of reporting, data source, and the primary level and frequency of measurement.

There are templates for each of the four over-arching target indicators:

• Number of countries that have eliminated at least one NTD.
• Number of NTDs that are eradicated.
• Reduction in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to NTDs.
• Reduction in estimated number of people requiring interventions against NTDs. This provides a measure of changes in the disease burden over time.

These are followed by templates for ten cross-cutting target indicators:

• Access to at least basic WASH in NTD-endemic areas.
• Integrated treatment coverage index for preventive chemotherapy.
• Number of countries adopting and implementing integrated skin-NTD strategies.
• Reduction in the number of deaths from vector-borne NTDs.
• Share of countries collecting and reporting NTD data by gender.
• Share of countries including and budgeting for NTD interventions in their packages of essential services.
• Share of countries reporting on all relevant endemic NTDs.
• Share of countries with guidelines for management of NTD-related disabilities within national health systems.
• Share of countries with NTDs integrated in national health plans.
• Share of population at risk protected against catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure due to NTDs.

For leprosy, the four indicators are the same as in the Global Leprosy Strategy 2021-2030:

• Rate (per million population) of new cases with grade-2 disability.
• Annual number of new cases detected.
• Number of countries with zero new autochthonous leprosy cases.
• Rate (per million child population) of new child cases with leprosy

Again, there are clear and informative templates providing guidance on each of these.

The indicators serve as a valuable tool for governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to track and evaluate their efforts in the global fight against NTDs, to identify areas where progress is falling behind expectations, and to guide decision-making.