Former Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Michel Sidibé, has called on African media professionals to play a frontline role in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), stressing that silence and invisibility remain the biggest drivers of the diseases.

He made the call at the REMAPSEN Awards Ceremony featuring the Michel Sidibé Prize, held in Cotonou, Benin, as part of the Forum of Media Professionals on Neglected Tropical Diseases, marking the International Day for the fight against NTDs.

Dr Sidibé said the decision to host the forum in Benin was deliberate, describing it as “political, moral and strategic”, in recognition of the country’s leadership in public health, prevention and social justice.

“This is not a symbolic day. It is a reminder that millions of women, men and children continue to suffer in silence, far from the spotlight,” he said.

According to him, neglected tropical diseases persist largely because they exist in the shadows, warning that what societies ignore, they effectively condemn.

He commended the Réseau des Médias Africains pour la Promotion de la Santé et de l’Environnement (REMAPSEN) and its leadership for what he described as a strong moral commitment to truth, justice and invisible populations across Africa.

“What you carry forward is not merely a professional commitment. It is a moral responsibility,” Dr Sidibé told journalists present.

He explained that the Michel Sidibé Prize is not a lifetime achievement award, but a recognition of courage, the courage to highlight stories often ignored, to challenge the normalisation of suffering, and to turn forgotten communities into national priorities.

“This prize exists to remind us of a simple truth: what we bring to light, we can defeat. What we ignore, we condemn,” he said.

Dr Sidibé stressed that eliminating NTDs goes beyond medical solutions, arguing that public awareness, political pressure and media visibility are equally critical.

“A microphone can save as many lives as a medicine. A camera can push back stigma. An article can trigger a political decision,” he noted.

He urged journalists to consistently place NTDs on national agendas, saying that once an issue reaches the front page, its elimination has already begun.

Addressing political leaders, Dr Sidibé cautioned against viewing the media as adversaries, describing journalists instead as strategic partners in effective health policy.

“Without transparency, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no public buy-in. And without public buy-in, no health policy can succeed,” he said.

He encouraged recipients of the Michel Sidibé Prize to see their work as a tool for justice and collective healing, reminding them that the transition from neglect to visibility is a deliberate and powerful strategy against health injustice in Africa.

“We are not just presenting a trophy. We are sending a signal that no disease will be tolerated simply because it affects the poorest, and that silence is no longer an option,” Dr Sidibé said.