The challenge
Neglected Tropical Diseases affect over a billion people globally, with over 1.7 billion requiring ongoing interventions. NTDs are endemic in 149 countries globally, with the highest burden of disease affecting low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Diseases including dengue, rabies and snakebite envenoming cause over 200,000 deaths annually. NTDs cost billions of dollars annually in direct health costs, loss of productivity and reduced socioeconomic and educational attainment
Progress made
Since the launch of the first WHO NTD roadmap in 2012:
- 600 million fewer people require interventions against NTDs than in 2010
- 42 countries, territories and areas have eliminated at least one disease
- 199 countries, areas and territories have been certified free of Guinea worm; in 2019, only 54 cases remained in four countries
- 11.5 billion treatments have been donated by pharmaceutical manufacturers.