The University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho (UHAS) held the fourth(4th) edition of the UHAS Leadership Lecture Series in memory of Professor John Evans Atta Mills at the University’s Cedi Auditorium, Ho.

Professor David Molyneux, former Director and Senior Professorial Fellow of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine delivered lectures for the two-day lecture series under the theme:  "Neglected Tropical Diseases: the evolution of a new paradigm in health and development". The Emeritus Professor of the University of Liverpool took time to pay glowing tributes to the former President, His Excellency the late Professor John Evans Atta-Mills. He described his exemplary, visionary and selfless leadership as exceptional and urged other leaders in Africa to emulate him.

Presenting his first lecture on: "Building a momentum from evidence to policy and implementation for diseases of poverty”. The former Director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine gave a background information on the concept and evolution of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). He explained that, the momentum of evolution for NTDs was described during the period of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when the focus was on the control of malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis following the creation of the Global Fund in 2000. He added that “other diseases” were included within the health targets of the MDGs and few additional resources were allocated to these except for polio eradication.

He therefore called for the recognition of broad objectives of the MDGs to alleviate poverty. He also advocated a well-defined link between NTDs and poverty as well as strategies for the control and also elimination and eradication.

Professor David Molyneux made a hopeful observation that, there was a gradual momentum building in the areas of drug donations and provision of drugs for some critical NTDs namely leprosy, onchocerciasis, filariasis, soil transmitted helminths and trachoma by major pharmaceutical companies.

He also indicated that “establishment of NTDs as a “brand” was an essential component of advocacy as the NTDs incorporated diverse group of infections which were originally not recognized.

According to Professor David Molyneux establishment of a Department of WHO with leadership from the Director-General widened the interests from bilateral donors, philanthropic organizations. This also helped to engage Non- Governmental Development Organizations to advocate for greater resources to be committed to these diseases.

To sum up on the progress made so far, he referred to a meeting in London in 2012 that, engaged additional players for a discourse that birthed the “London Declaration”- a commitment which sort to achieve a Road Map Agenda to be established by WHO for 2020.

Speaking on the second day, Professor David Molyneux presented a lecture on: "The emerging challenges of disease Eradication and Elimination”. He described the ‘Eradication and Elimination’ as ‘attractive concepts’.

He explained from a historic perspective of the concepts with emphatic reference to precise definitions of eradication, elimination and control. To support his assessment he enumerated three diseases (polio, guinea worm and yaws) that are currently targeted for eradication.

He called for the need to recognise that the last cases of these diseases are proportionately more expensive to address. He said there were emergences of epidemiological challenges such as unexpected situations that may arise; coupled with donor fatigue.

The Emeritus Professor of the University of Liverpool defined eradication in the global context as a “zero global incidence of a specific pathogen” and not a “disease which requires a process of certification where specific criteria are established to allow an independent judgement to be made of a country’s achievements towards the goal”.

On the other hand, the Professor defined Elimination in a more local or regional context saying the World Health Assembly (WHA) which is the governing body of WHO, has frequently passed Resolutions on Neglected Tropical Diseases which have used the term “elimination of a public health problem”. He subsequently addressed that the less well- defined concept requires establishment of criteria to become targets. Elimination according to him is frequently confined to more restricted geographic settings where the term “local eradication” is used.

To conclude, Professor David Molyneux said NTDs are markers, agents and drivers of poverty in over a billion of the poorest. NTD control/elimination can make a proportionately greater contribution than any other investment-more health for less money. He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to articulate this policy message based on strong scientific evidence and programmatic success.

Both lectures ended with interactive sessions, which offered participants with opportunities to present their submissions in the forms of questions and contributions.

Professor John Owusu Gyapong, the Vice-Chancellor of UHAS and Chairman of the Lecture, described Professor David Molyneux in his introductory statement as an accomplished influential scientist. He also took time to make a brief report on activities and developments at the University of Health and Allied Sciences to the audience.

The two-day colourful lectures in memory of Professor John Evans Atta-Mills was attended by Justice Victor M. J. Dotse, the Chairman of the University Governing Council, Members of the University Council, Professor Seth Owusu Adjei ,Pro-Vice Chancellor, Dr. Sena Kpeglo, Registrar, Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and faculty members , Students and members of the University community.

Professor Fred Newton Binka, former Vice Chancellor, Professor Kofi Ayidoho former Chairman of the University Governing Council, Mr. Kofi Siabi-Mensah, former Registrar, Dr. Moses Adibo, former Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Delanyo Yao Tsidi Dovlo, Health practitioner, Honourable Archibald Letsa, Regional Minister, Togbe Adja Tekpoe VI, Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional Area, Togbe Kwaku III, Paramount Chief of Sokode Traditional Area and a host of other dignitaries graced this Special Lecture. .