WHO releases progress report on neglected tropical diseases

News Excerpt:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases 2024.

More about the report:

  • The report provides the Member States and the global community of partners with an account of progress made in 2023 towards the implementation of the Road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030. 
    • Notably, the progress report is one of the agenda items included in the World Health Assembly (WHA77) agenda.
      • The upcoming 77th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA77) will take place in Geneva on 27 May–1 June 2024.
  • The report highlights encouraging advancements in the battle against NTDs. 
  • It highlights key challenges, ranging from a slow post-COVID-19 recovery to funding uncertainties, from geopolitical disruptions to climate change, from gaps in knowledge and tools to insufficient data, to illustrate the complexities inherent in addressing NTDs.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs):

  • Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions caused by a variety of pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins) and associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences. 
  • NTDs are mainly prevalent among impoverished communities in tropical areas, although some have a much larger geographical distribution. 
  • It is estimated that NTDs affect more than 1 billion people, while the number of people requiring NTD interventions (both preventive and curative) is 1.6 billion.

The majority of NTDs occur in the tropics and subtropics and have particular characteristics in common:

  • They afflict the poorest people – those without access to the safe water, sanitation, and basic health services required to protect themselves against infection by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. High-income groups are rarely affected.
  • Many are chronic, slowly developing conditions that become progressively worse if undetected and untreated. The damage they cause can be irreversible.
  • They can cause severe pain and life-long disabilities, with long-term consequences for the person and also for family members who have to care for the person.

The infectious agents responsible for some NTDs include:

  • viruses (rabies and dengue)
  • bacteria (leprosy, yaws, trachoma and Buruli ulcer)
  • protozoa (leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis)
  • helminth parasites (schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, intestinal worms and Guinea worm)

Key highlights of the Report:

  • In 2022, 1.62 billion people required interventions against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). 
    • Although this reflects a 26% decrease from 2010, it does not provide the required trajectory to attain the road map’s global target of a 90% reduction by 2030.
  • In 2023, five countries were acknowledged by WHO for eliminating one NTD, and one country for eliminating two NTDs. 
    • As of December 2023, a total of 50 countries have successfully eliminated at least one NTD, marking the halfway point towards the 2030 target of 100 countries.
  • In 2022, approximately 848 million people received treatment for at least one NTD through preventive chemotherapy interventions.
    • It is 49 million people fewer than in 2021 but 50 million more than in 2020.
  • As of the end of 2022, the number of reported deaths from vector-borne NTDs has increased by 22% (as compared with 2016).
  • Access to water supply, sanitation and hygiene is overall 85.8% in NTD-endemic countries and 63% among the population requiring interventions against NTDs.
  • The share of the population at risk protected against catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure due to NTDs is 87.4%.
  • In 2023, noma (cancrum oris, gangrenous stomatitis) was added to the list of NTDs.
    • Noma is a rapidly progressing severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and the face. 
    • It mostly affects children aged 2–6 years suffering from malnutrition, affected by infectious diseases, living in extreme poverty with poor oral health or with weakened immune systems .
  • NTD medicine donation programmes achieved significant milestones in 2023, delivering 2.1 billion tablets and vials, 200 million more than in 2022. 
  • Key advocacy events carried out in 2023 included the Global NTD Programme Partners’ Meeting and the Reaching the Last Mile Forum, which raised the visibility of NTDs in the global health agenda and increased resource mobilisation.

Key facts about the report:

  • For the first time, a quantitative overview is provided of the status of each of the indicators included in the road map: 
    • 4 overarching indicators
    • 10 cross-cutting indicators
    • 55 disease-specific indicators.
  • Qualitative information is included on progress made regarding each of the three road map pillars: 
    • (i) accelerate programmatic action
    • (ii) intensify cross-cutting approaches
    • (iii) change operating models and culture to facilitate country ownership.
  • A section is dedicated to regional and country progress.

Road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030:

  • Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021−2030 was endorsed by the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in November 2020.
  • The road map sets global targets and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate 20 diseases and disease groups as well as overarching and cross-cutting targets aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Overarching global targets for 2030:

The overarching global targets for 2030 are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work:

  • 90% fewer people requiring interventions against NTDs
  • 75% fewer NTD-related DALYs
  • 100 countries achieving elimination of at least 1 NTD
  • Eradication of 2 NTDs – dracunculiasis and yaws

Cross-cutting targets for 2030:

The road map aims to renew momentum, proposes strategies that intersect multiple diseases, and advances actions focused on integrated platforms for the delivery of interventions. Consequently, a set of cross-cutting targets has been devised to measure progress in four areas:

  • Integrated approaches
    • Reduce deaths from vector-borne diseases by 75%
    • Achieve 75% integrated treatment coverage index for preventive chemotherapy
    • 40 countries adopting skin NTD strategies
  • Multisectoral coordination
    • Ensure 100% access to basic water supply, sanitation and hygiene in NTD-endemic areas
    • Get 90% of countries integrating NTDs in national strategic plans
    • Protect at least 90% of the population from catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures due to NTDs
  • Universal health coverage
    • Get 90% of countries including NTD interventions in their package of essential health services and budgeting for them
    • Ensure that 90% of countries have guidelines for management of NTD-related disabilities within national health systems
  • Country ownership
    • Ensure that 90% of countries report on all relevant NTDs 
    • Ensure that 90% of countries collect and report NTD data disaggregated by gender

Three foundational pillars will support global efforts to achieve the targets: 

  • accelerate programmatic action (pillar 1)
  • intensify cross-cutting approaches (pillar 2)
  • change operating models and culture to facilitate country ownership (pillar 3).

Book A Free Counseling Session

What's Today

Reviews

Programs

Centres

Social Platforms

Useful Links

Main Menu