{{\par misc}{\par Sally Theobald}{\par Eleanor Macpherson}{\par Laura Dean}{\par Julie Jacobson}{\par Camilla Ducker}{\par Margaret Gyapong}{\par Kate Hawkins}{\par Thoko Elphick-Pooley}{\par Charles Mackenzie}{\par Louise Kelly-Hope}{\par Fiona Fleming}{\par Pamela Mbabazi}{\par }{\par 20 years of gender mainstreaming in health: lessons and reflections for the neglected tropical diseases community.}{\par Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect the poorest of the poor. NTD programmes can and should rise to the challenge of playing a part in promoting more gender equitable societies. Gender equity shapes poverty and the experience of disease in multiple ways; yet to date, there has been little attention paid to gender equity in NTD control efforts. Drawing on a synthesis of relevant literature, the tacit knowledge and experience of the authors, and discussions at a meeting on women, girls and NTDs, this analysis paper distills five key lessons from over 20 years of gender mainstreaming in health. The paper links this learning to NTDs and Mass Drug Administration (MDA). Our first lesson is that tailored gender frameworks support gender analysis within research and programming. We present a gender review framework focusing on different MDA strategies. Second, gender interplays with other axes of inequality, such as disability and geographical location; hence, intersectionality is important for inclusive and responsive NTD programmes. Third, gender, power and positionality shape who is chosen as community drug distributors (CDDs). How CDDs interact with communities and how this interface role is valued and practised needs to be better understood. Fourth, we need to unpack the gender and power dynamics at household level to assess how this impacts MDA coverage and interactions with CDDs. Finally, we need to collect and use sex disaggregated data to support the development of more equitable and sustainable NTD programmes. }{\par 2017}{\par 2}{\par e000512}{\par 2059-7908}{\par http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29177100?dopt=Abstract }{\par 10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000512}{\par eng}{\par 30834}{\par 2}{\par 4}{\par e000512}}