World Health Organisations’ (WHO)’s World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day is annually observed across the globe on January 30 to create awareness of the devastating impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) on the poorest populations around the world.
- 30th January 2023 marks the observance of the 4th World NTD Day.
The theme of World NTD Day 2023 is “Act Now. Act Together. Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases”.
Note: World NTD Day aims to mobilise political will and secure commitments to eliminate NTDs in support of the WHO’s NTD Roadmap 2021-2030, including the elimination of at least 1 NTD from 100 countries by 2030.
Background:
i. For the 1st time, World NTD Day was informally observed on January 30, 2020.
ii. On 31 May 2021, The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) recognised 30th January as World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day through decision WHA74(18).
iii. The proposal to recognise the day was made by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Why January 30?
30 January commemorates several events, such as the London Declaration on NTDs (2012), the launch of the 1st NTD road map in 2012, and the launch of the current road map in January 2021.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD):
i. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of parasitic and bacterial diseases that cause substantial illness.
ii. NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas, affecting more than one billion people, and cause devastating health, social and economic consequences.
iii. NTDs are widespread in the world’s poorest regions, where water safety, sanitation and access to health care are less than optimal.
iv. Over 1 billion people are affected by NTDs globally, which are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins.
- These diseases are considered “neglected” because they barely figure in the global health agenda, receive little funding, and are associated with stigma and social exclusion.
v. NTDs are found in several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, especially in tropical areas where people do not have access to clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste.
vi. Controllable NTDs are Dracunculiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted Helminths (STH), and Trachoma.
NTD Impact:
i. WHO estimates that more than 1.7 billion people globally should be the focus of annual prevention and treatment efforts for at least one of these diseases.
ii. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 149 countries and territories are affected globally by at least one neglected tropical disease.
iii. Over a billion people worldwide, more than one-sixth of the world’s population are affected by NTDs.
About the World Health Organisations (WHO):
Director General- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment- 1948
