NTD

Neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs, refer to a group of infectious diseases that predominantly affect people living in poverty in tropical and subtropical regions. NTDs are typically chronic and disabling, contributing to stigma and economic hardship, while receiving comparatively less attention and funding than other diseases. They are common in areas with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure and can perpetuate cycles of poverty.

The term covers a diverse set of conditions, including lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminth infections (roundworm, whipworm, and hookworm), trachoma, leprosy, visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), yaws, and Buruli ulcer, among others. Transmission varies by disease and region, ranging from vector-borne and contact transmission to infection via contaminated water or soil.

Control and elimination efforts emphasize integrated interventions: periodic mass drug administration to treated populations, vector control, improvement of water, sanitation, and hygiene, case detection and management, and vaccination where available. International partners, including the World Health Organization, governments, and pharmaceutical donors, coordinate programs such as the London Declaration on NTDs and the WHO road map for 2021–2030, which set targets to reduce, interrupt, or eradicate transmission of several NTDs.

Impact and outlook: sustained investments aim to reduce morbidity, improve school attendance and productivity, and ultimately eliminate or control many NTDs by 2030. Progress is uneven across diseases and regions, reflecting continuing challenges in access to healthcare and sustainable sanitation.