Learning to ADAPT When Neglected Tropical Disease Surveys Fail

Disease-specific prevalence assessments (DSAs) are a critical component of the World Health Organization’s recommended strategy for achieving disease elimination. However, despite significant efforts to reduce prevalence, these assessments often fail due to a variety of environmental, epidemiologic, and social factors. When this happens, health ministries typically have short timelines to understand the causes for failure and adjust their approach. In this webinar, participants will hear from experiences in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and how they have adapted after failed surveys. USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)| East team will introduce the ADAPT approach, a tool and methodology used to help governments in developing a rapid and effective response to NTD survey failures.  

This webinar is designed for NTD program managers and staff, public health professionals working on NTD elimination, and researchers and stakeholders interested in improving the delivery of NTD services.   

Watch the recording! 

Presenters: 

• Rapheal Opon, Senior Medical Officer, Uganda Ministry of Health    
• Molly Brady, Senior Neglected Tropical Diseases Advisor, RTI International  
• Ambakisye Mhiche, Senior Program Officer, USAID’s ACT to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | East Program, RTI International   
• Chuks Okonkwo, Implementation Manager, USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | East Project, RTI International   

Moderator: 

• Alyssa Lindrose, RTI International 

Presenters

Rapheal Opon, Senior Medical Officer, Uganda Ministry of Health   

Dr. Rapheal Opon is a senior medical officer and the trachoma focal point with the Uganda Ministry of Health. He is an experienced public health professional who has previously worked in clinical care and refugee health programs. In his current role with the ministry of health, he oversees and guides implementation of the SAFE strategy (surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics for active infection, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement). He is especially passionate about mass drug administration in border communities and with nomadic pastoralists.  

He started his career at St. Francis Naggalama Hospital, a private, not-for-profit hospital in Uganda. He then transitioned into refugee healthcare through his work with Medical Teams International in Uganda, an international humanitarian agency. Thereafter, he joined Uganda’s Ministry of Health.  

Rapheal holds a medical degree and is completing his Master of Public Health.

Molly Brady, Senior Neglected Tropical Diseases Advisor, RTI International

Molly Brady brings more than 15 years of experience to her work in infectious diseases, with a focus on strategy development and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She is a global expert on lymphatic filariasis (LF), also known as elephantiasis, a mosquito-borne illness that causes disfiguring swelling of limbs and genitals. 

In her current role, Ms. Brady serves as a senior advisor for NTDs on USAID’s Act to End NTDs | East program, providing technical assistance to LF-endemic countries on a range of programmatic areas, including achieving coverage targets for mass drug administration, implementing quality surveys, and documenting evidence towards elimination of LF as a public health problem. She brings lessons learned from national programs into dialogue to develop and revise global guidance. 

Ms. Brady is a globally recognized expert in lymphatic filariasis and has made significant contributions to the development of global tools for addressing LF morbidity and evolving M&E for LF programs. She is a member of the Global Alliance to Eliminate LF (GAELF) Steering Committee and past Chair of the LF Non-governmental Development Organization (NGDO) Network. 

Ambakisye Mhiche, Senior Program Officer, USAID’s ACT to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | East Program  

Ambakisye Mhiche is a senior program officer for USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) | East program, based in Dodoma, Tanzania. Ambakisye is an experienced public health epidemiologist who has primarily worked in the field of NTDs; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and emergence management. He has focused on supporting public health surveillance; outbreak and epidemic detection, control, and prevention; NTD coordination; and improving access to sanitation and hygiene facilities and practices in Tanzania.   

He started his career with the Government of Tanzania at the Kigoma Regional Secretariat as an environmental health officer (2014), transitioned to the role of regional health officer, (2016), and later became the regional epidemiologist and manager for the Sub National Emergence Operational Center in Kigoma, Tanzania (2019).   

In September 2020, Ambakisye joined Tanzania’s Ministry of Health at the national NTD Control Program as the focal person for the Trachoma Elimination Program and WASH.  Ambakisye joined RTI International in October 2021 as a program officer for USAID’s Act to End NTDs | East Program before assuming the role of senior program officer.  

Ambakisye holds a Master of Science in Applied Epidemiology from Muhimbili University of Health and Applied Sciences. He also holds an advanced certificate in Field Epidemiology from the Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program. He is an alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.  

Ambakisye enjoys driving, travelling, and exploring the beauty of nature.  

Chuks Okonkwo, Implementation Manager, USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) | East Project

Chuks Okonkwo is an epidemiologist with over 20 years' experience in public health practice. He is currently the Implementation Manager at RTI International for USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)| East Project in Nigeria. Working with the Ministry of Health at federal, state and district levels, he supported the successful and innovative implementation of the last Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Yala district of Cross River State. He also led the Act|East project team and collaborated with the LF Program team of the Federal Ministry of Health to conduct a series of assessments to confirm LF MDA could be stopped in Yala. He loves using various innovations and technological approaches to strengthen implementation and achieve desired outcomes in the health sector.