Nets donated to address rising rates of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Syria
MENTOR recently donated 2,728 long-lasting insecticidal nets to the Idleb Health Directorate, Syria to address the sharp increase in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Monthly reported cases have risen from around 2,500 to more than 5,000 in recent months. Southern Idleb remains among the most affected areas, particularly Ma’aret Al-Numan and Khan Shaykhun, where 2,628 new cases were […]
Needs assessment in Ar-Raqqa to address health crisis
It is a critical time in Northeast Syria which is facing rising cases of diseases such as leishmaniasis, an endemic neglected tropical disease, alongside reduced healthcare services and resources because of funding cuts. A MENTOR team recently carried out an assessment in Ar-Raqqa Governorate to evaluate the situation and better understand the needs. The visit […]
Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week
MENTOR was delighted to join the panel discussing scaling health innovations in emergencies at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks – HNPW in Geneva on Tuesday (10 March). Led by Creating Hope in Conflict: a Humanitarian Grand Challenge and Gray Dot Catalyst, the session focused on how building value networks to scale up innovations is […]
World NTD Day 2026
In 2025 MENTOR programme teams supported the delivery of essential treatments and vector control, and helped strengthen health systems, to address the high risk of neglected tropical diseases in South Sudan, Syria and Angola. They overcame significant challenges to reach communities cut off by flooding, affected by conflict, far from health services, or displaced, to […]
MENTOR founder awarded an ASTMH Distinguished International Fellow
The MENTOR Initiative founder and chair Richard Allan OBE was awarded an ASTMH Distinguished International Fellow by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) at their recent annual meeting in Toronto. This award recognises “individuals who have made eminent contributions to a particular aspect of tropical medicine and global health…leaders in their field, […]
NTD control in Syria
Over 93,000 homes and 51,600 temporary shelters across Aleppo and Idleb Governorates were sprayed with WHO-approved insecticide to address the high threat of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region. MENTOR carried out the large-scale Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) campaign in northwest Syria between May and September 2025 to protect more than 799,000 people, including many that have […]
Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) conference 2025
We are excited to be attending the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) conference in Kampala this week with a focus on sustainable innovations to transform the fight against NTDs. On Thursday, Xavier Badia, MENTOR Programme Manager and Chair of the NNN Conflict and Humanitarian Emergencies Working Group, will lead a workshop addressing NTD control […]
New Vector-Borne Disease Units open in Syria
MENTOR recently opened two Vector-Borne Disease Units in Azaz and Idleb City as part of ongoing efforts to address the high rates of leishmaniasis in northern Syria. These unique units, funded by The Aid Fund for Syria, provide free diagnosis, treatment and essential medicines for patients, and coordinate wider prevention and care through 48 health […]
Research from spatial repellent trial in Syria published in BMC Medicine journal
Research from a trial evaluating the efficacy of Mosquito Shield™ spatial repellent in reducing cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in displacement camps in North-East Syria was published in BMC Medicine journal on 3 July. The results are significant and provide the first demonstrable impact of spatial repellents on cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) transmission, particularly in fragile, humanitarian […]
Enhancing protection against vector-borne diseases in forcibly displaced communities: evaluating the efficacy of spatial repellents for cutaneous leishmaniasis control in North-East Syria
In Syria, during the 14 years after the outbreak of civil war, 16.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes, of which 7.2 million remain internally displaced in 2025. Breakdown in waste management caused by aerial bombardment has created ideal conditions for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) transmission, vectored by phlebotomine sandflies. Displaced populations reside in […]