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WHO releases progress report on Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs)

Posted 10 May 2024

2 min read

The report deals with progress made in 2023 towards the Road map for NTDs 2021–2030 which has targets of

  • 90% reduction in the number of people requiring treatment for NTDs
  • 75% reduction in disability-adjusted life year (DALYs) related to NTDs; 
  • Eliminate at least one NTD from 100 countries
  • Eradicate two diseases (dracunculiasis and yaws) globally

Findings of the report

  • 1.62 billion people required interventions against NTDs in 2022
  • 5 countries eliminated one NTDs, and one country eliminated two NTDs in 2023.

India related findings

  • 40.56% of Indian people required interventions against NTDs in 2022
  • India was certified free of dracunculiasis (2000) and yaws(2016) 

Key challenges with NTDs

  • Lack of reliable data on a number of NTDs
  • Underdiagnosis and under-reporting due to inadequate surveillance and detection 
  • Inadequate funding and slow adoption of new NTD interventions
  • High out-of-pocket expenditure makes poor populations  more  vulnerable

Recommendations

  • Accelerate progress in high-burden countries
  • Repositioning NTDs within the global health agenda (e.g. health emergencies, pandemic prevention, One Health etc)
  • Developing a work plan for 2025–2030, with a proper timeline and targets.

Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs)

  • NTDs are a diverse group of conditions of parasitic, bacterial, viral, fungal and non-communicable origin.
  • Mainly prevalent in tropical areas
  • Called  ‘neglected’ as they are almost absent from the global health agenda.
  • It includes diseases such as yaws, chikungunya, dengue , trachoma, dracunculiasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, rabies, soil-transmitted helminthiases, leishmaniasis.
  • Tags :
  • Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs)
  • NTDs
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