title: Community-driven interventions can revolutionise control of neglected tropical diseases.
abstract: Whether global health interventions target diseases (vertical), systems (horizontal) or both (diagonal), they must address the challenge of delivering services in very remote areas of poor countries with inadequate infrastructure. The primacy of this challenge has been underscored by persistent service-delivery difficulties despite several large financial commitments - the latest, US $363 million in the January 2012 London Declaration. Community-driven approaches, pioneered in river blindness control, show that engaging communities can maximise access and performance. This experience should inform a paradigm shift in disease control whereby communities are empowered to extend health service access themselves.
authors.affiliation: amazigo4@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Uche V
authors.initials: UV
authors.lastname: Amazigo
authors.forename: Stephen G A
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Leak
authors.forename: Honorat G M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zoure
authors.forename: Ngozi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Njepuome
authors.forename: Paul-Samson
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lusamba-Dikassa
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003141:Communicable Diseases; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014330:Tropical Medicine