Devex: Opinion: Eliminating the need for foreign assistance, one country at a time
Paul Weisenfeld, executive vice president of RTI International’s International Development Group

“…Eliminating trachoma in Laos and Cambodia shows that fundamentally solving — not just reducing — complex challenges through development assistance is possible. … [USAID’s flagship neglected tropical diseases project] ENVISION supports national programs to carry out a variety of interventions and activities that have proven effective in the fight against NTDs … There are several key elements of our approach to carrying out these core activities that can help other development programs achieve and sustain their goals. 1. Become part of the national health system’s DNA … 2. Measure, measure, and measure some more … 3. Strengthen local capacity … 4. Leverage global partnerships … Mark Green’s goal for USAID — to eliminate the need for foreign assistance — is shared across the international development community. The ongoing success of USAID’s own ENVISION project demonstrates clearly that we can and are achieving this goal, one country at a time” (10/19).