World NTD Day 2020-2022
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Task
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court endeavored to create a global health day officially recognized by the WHO for NTDs (neglected tropical diseases). It’s purpose, to serve as a catalyst to translate awareness into action, secure increased resources for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and crucially facilitate political leadership and ownership of NTD programs from affected countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these efforts moved into the digital landscape.
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Strategy
• Utilizing and building the extensive NTD partner network to amplify communications and visibility within the global health community.
• Creating visibility for those affected by NTDs as well as the health workers who care for them with creative, face-forward storytelling profiles.
• Crafting advocacy opportunities at the individual (social media #1in5 Challenge), organization (support and grants for orgs to carry out local events) and country levels (monument light-ups). -
Result
On May 27th, delegates at the seventy-fourth World Health Assembly endorsed adding World NTD Day to the World Health Organization’s official global calendar. The day increased in prominence in 2021, with more than 360 organizations from 61 countries partnering to draw attention to NTDs and mark the launch of WHO’s new 10-year roadmap to tackle NTDs. More than 65 landmarks across 43 cities and 26 countries were illuminated and leaders and individuals from all over the globe raised their voices to elevate this important conversation on social media.
Social Media Toolkit
In 2021, collaborating with over 30 contributing partners, Suzy crafted a toolkit that shared more than 24 stories from those affected by neglected tropical diseases and the frontline health workers caring for them, as well as quotes from country and organization leadership to set vision. These posts were shared by over 140 NTD partners on their owned channels.
Main Hashtags: #beatNTDs #EndTheNeglect #WorldNTDDay
Sesame Street PSA
Working with Sesame Workshop in 2022, Suzy helped produce a PSA featuring the muppet Raya, bringing more awareness to an issue that can feel foreign and abstruse. Employing a character like Raya helps reach a general audience that has likely never heard of NTDs. The PSA will be played on television and in movie theaters in the UAE and other donor countries. It was produced in English, French and Arabic.
Core Messaging Videos
A suite of 5 videos were created to communicate core messages for World NTD Day 2021.
EQUITY
CELEBRATING PROGRESS
GETTING IT DONE
FIGHTING NTDs AMIDST COVID
COLLABORATION
Virtual Events
Virtual events highlighted the cross-sector and multilateral collaboration to address NTDs.
1 in 5 Social Media Challenge
1 in 5 people worldwide are affected by NTDs. That's 1.7 BILLION people. The social media challenge asked individuals to FACE NTDs by raising awareness on their own accounts.