By Bunmi Yekini
Millions of people living with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) continue to suffer in silence from discrimination, social stigma and untreated mental health conditions, the World Health Organization warned on Friday, calling on governments to integrate mental health care into disease elimination efforts.
Marking World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, the U.N. health agency said people affected by NTDs that cause physical impairments or disfigurement, including leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mycetoma and noma, are particularly vulnerable to exclusion driven by fear and misconceptions about contagion.
More than 1 billion people worldwide live with NTDs, while a similar number experience mental health conditions. Studies show people with chronic NTDs face higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviours than the general population, yet many lack access to care within their communities.
“The fight against neglected tropical diseases is not only a fight against pathogens, it’s a fight against the profound human suffering they cause,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “True elimination means freeing people not only from the disease, but from the shame, isolation, and despair that too often accompany it.”
To address the gap, WHO has launched its first global guide on an Essential Care Package aimed at tackling mental health conditions and stigma among people affected by NTDs. The guide outlines evidence-based interventions to promote mental well-being, identify and treat mental health conditions, and reduce stigma at individual, community and health system levels.
The warning comes as recent gains in eliminating NTDs face growing financial pressure. According to WHO, the number of people requiring NTD interventions has fallen to a historic low of 1.4 billion over the past decade, with 58 countries eliminating at least one disease. WHO aims for 100 countries to do so by 2030.
However, the Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases 2025 shows that official development assistance for NTDs fell by 41% between 2018 and 2023, raising concerns that progress could be reversed.
The economic case for investment remains strong, WHO said, estimating that every $1 spent on preventive chemotherapy delivers about $25 in returns. Without renewed action, NTDs are expected to cost affected families and communities around $33 billion each year in lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses.
Under the theme “Unite. Act. Eliminate.”, the World NTD Day campaign calls for new funding, leadership and innovation, alongside the integration of mental health services into NTD responses, to ensure that no one is left behind in pain or isolation.