The ongoing World Health Assembly has declared January 30 as ‘World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day’.
Q. What are Neglected Tropical Diseases?
NTDs are a group of infections that are most common among marginalized communities in the developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms.
These diseases generally receive less funding for research and treatment than malaises like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria.
Some examples of NTDs include snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
Q. What is the significance of global recognition?
NTDs affect more than a billion people globally, according to the WHO. They are preventable and treatable.
However, these diseases and their intricate interrelationships with poverty and ecological systems — continue to cause devastating health, social and economic consequences.
A major milestone in the movement to recognize the global burden of these diseases was the London Declaration on NTDs that was adopted January 30, 2012.
The first World NTD Day was celebrated informally in 2020. This year, the new NTD road map was launched.