Overview

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions of bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal and non communicable origin. In spite of their diversity, NTDs share a common geographical and social context: their burden is predominantly located in tropical areas across the globe, and they mainly affect resource-poor communities – their correlation with poverty is so close that they are some-times referred to as diseases of neglected populations. The epidemiology of NTDs is complex and often related to environmental conditions. Many NTDs are vector-borne, have animal reservoirs and are associated with complex life cycles: all these factors make their public-health control challenging. 

WHO currently focuses on 20 diseases and conditions1 the public-health burden of which is often overlooked by the relevant authorities or decision-making bodies, a fact that contributes to their neglect. Conservative estimates indicate that NTDs contribute 19 million disability-adjusted life years,2 that is, about 1% of the global burden of disease, although with large variation between tropical and non-tropical countries and between developing and developed areas. WHO estimates that over 1.7 billion people require treatment for at least one NTD, every year. WHO recommends five core strategic interventions to tackle the burden of NTDs: preventive chemotherapy (PC); individual case management; vector control; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and veterinary public health. In 2019, over 1 billion people received one or more of the above services for NTDs. 

In spite of the difficulties inherent in their public-health control, WHO envisages ambitious targets for NTDs, including control, elimination as a public health problem, elimination of transmission and global eradication. So far, 42 countries and territories previously endemic for these diseases have been acknowledged by WHO as having attained one of the above targets. Over the past decade, WHO has progressively harmonized public health approaches against NTDs and fostered integration of disease control efforts in endemic areas, moving away from vertical programmes and strengthening cross-cutting interventions that are best posed to impact on diseases that are often overlap geographically and affect the same population groups.

A comprehensive set of normative guidance has been developed by WHO over the past years to support the planning, financing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of NTD interventions from global to community level. World Health Assembly resolution 66.12 (2013) reflects the commitment of WHO’s Member States to address the burden of NTDs, while the current NTD road map 2012–2020 delineates milestones and targets for the decade that is now drawing to a close. A new roadmap, for 2021–2030, will set out actions to drive progress towards a world free of NTDs and will provide the framework through which the global NTD community will contribute to attainment of the Sustain-able Development Goals over the next decade. The new road map is presently under consideration by the 73rd World Health Assembly