In 1998 GlaxoSmithKline (then SmithKline Beecham) announced its commitment to collaborate with WHO by forming a unique partnership between the private and public sectors to support the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF), by donating albendazole (one of the drugs used against lymphatic filariasis) for as long as necessary. The two organizations pledged to work together closely to undertake this massive international public health effort.
Subsequently, Merck & Co., Inc. pledged to expand its ongoing Mectizan® Donation Program for onchocerciasis (river blindness) to cover treatment of lymphatic filariasis with Mectizan® in all African countries where the two diseases occur together.
GAELF was officially formed during a meeting at Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in May 2000. During this first meeting discussions focused on support for effective country action, seeking support (including funding), communication and information needs, the role of non-governmental development organizations in national programmes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, critical elements for successful programmes and maximizing regional cooperation.
The second meeting of GAELF was held in New Delhi, India in May 2002. The overarching theme of the meeting was the empowering of the countries and their people to manage public health development and pursue poverty alleviation through the elimination of lymphatic filariasis. Representatives of the Global Alliance discussed national ownership of elimination programmes, poverty alleviation and sustainable development related to lymphatic filariasis elimination, and the commitment to global partnership as well as national-level partnership.
The third meeting of GAELF was held in Cairo, Egypt in March 2004. The meeting was attended by almost 200 participants from 33 countries and included several Ministers of Health. The meeting theme was: Strengthening the Global Programme towards the goal of elimination of lymphatic filariasis through scaling up via support from the Global Alliance of partners andthe objectives were to:
1. recognise the remarkable progress of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
2. communicate the achievements and challenges of the country programmes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, and
3. agree a proposal for the future structure and governance of the Global Alliance.
A new structure for the GAELF was established consisting of a six member Executive Group and a Representative Contact Group elected from each constituency (30 members) both with specific Terms of Reference to lead the activities of the Global Alliance to the next GAELF meeting in Fiji in 2006. The Secretariat of the GAELF was elected to be the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine based in the Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre.
The fourth meeting of GAELF was held in Fiji from 29th-31st March 2006. The theme for the meeting is “Towards the Global Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis - Successes and Challenges” and the objectives were to
| 1. |
demonstrate the progress and success of the elimination programme throughout the world, with a specific focus on countries near completion; |
| 2. |
discuss the challenges faced in the move towards the elimination of lymphatic filariasis by 2020; |
| 3. |
raise the level of commitment from the Ministries of Health, and increase advocacy and support for the efforts to eliminate LF; |
| 4. |
discuss the relationship of the LF Programme to the Millennium Development Goals - the real cost of LF to poor people and why the Global Programme is an excellent, cost-effective investment in the health of our people and future generations. |
The full report of the meeting including its Outcomes and Recommendations can be found on the GAELF website. |
