Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions that disproportionately
affect disadvantaged populations and continue to cause substantial morbidity, disability and
stigma. In remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the main NTDs of concern
include scabies and other ectoparasites (head lice), intestinal worms, and trachoma. Although
these diseases are preventable and treatable, they persist because of underlying environmental
and social determinants of health – including housing, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) –
highlighting the need for coordinated, community-led approaches that extend beyond the health
sector.
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence (CRE), ENGAGE (Ending the Neglect through Greater
Access and Greater Effectiveness), is a multi-institutional research consortium dedicated to
advancing the control and elimination of NTDs in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Aligned
with the WHO’s Road Map for NTDs 2021-2030, ENGAGE brings together researchers, health
services and community partners to generate evidence that informs policy and practice through
three core themes: innovation to accelerate programmatic action, integration across diseases
and health systems, and ownership through country- and community-led research and
implementation.
Within Australia, ENGAGE works in close partnership with the National Aboriginal Community
Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to address NTDs affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities. Early partnership activities included an NTD session at the NACCHO
Members’ Conference in December 2025 and the NACCHO-ENGAGE NTD Forum in June 2026.
These initiatives aimed to strengthen awareness, facilitate knowledge exchange, identify
priorities for collaborative research and practical initiatives, and reinforce the importance of
linking NTD prevention and control with broader environmental health programs.
This presentation will describe the ENGAGE partnership model and explore the importance of
cross-sector partnerships for strengthening environmental health approaches to preventing and
controlling NTDs in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities