Mobilizing the World to Defeat Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are widespread in the world’s poorest regions, where water safety, sanitation and access to health care are substandard. Caused mostly by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins, NTDs affect over 1 billion people globally.

Addressing NTDs requires cross-sectoral approaches that span from bringing medicines to the end of the road - thus making “universal health coverage” a reality, to relieving the associated mental health burden, to tackling fundamental human rights issues.

On World NTD Day 2022, WHO is calling on everyone, especially leaders and communities, to rally to confront the inequalities that characterize NTDs. The WHO theme for 2022 is ‘Achieving health equity to end the neglect of poverty-related diseases’.

To commemorate this day, a high-level virtual event will be organized on Friday 28 January 2022. The event will bring together member states, UN entities and partners across sectors for an interactive discussion on national experiences, best practices and lessons learned in combatting NTDs.

This event will seek to mobilize the attention of policymakers, UN agencies, health service providers, volunteers and the public about the need to increase awareness and engagement in confronting inequalities that perpetuate neglected tropical diseases.