Single approach to tackling NCDs, NTDs includes improving governance, strengthening health systems

In this "End the Neglect" blog post, Alanna Shaikh, a writer for U.N. Dispatch, follows up on her previous post in which she asserts that "there is a single approach that will help to fight both" non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), writing that in order to tackle both types of diseases "we can improve governance and we can strengthen health systems." She writes, "Whether you are looking at emergency response, stopping an epidemic, or fighting chronic illnesses, you need a government that can create an environment that supports good health and functional health care," and adds "that without a solid health system, you can't defeat any kind of health issues, let alone face the thorny complexity of eliminating [NTDs] or [NCDs]" (10/14).