19 January 2021 – The World Health Organization and partners will be launching a new road map on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) for 2021‒2030 on Thursday, 28 January 2021, from 14:00 to 16:00, with participation of heads of state, WHO’s Director-General, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, and other WHO regional directors, ministries of health, partners, representatives and the media.
The new road map entitled ‘Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030’, is a high-level strategic document and advocacy tool that sets out global targets for 2030 and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate a diverse set of 20 diseases and disease groups.
NTDs are deadly and often cruelly disabling. They affect the poorest populations living under the most difficult circumstances. In the Eastern Mediterranean Regionmore than 82 million people require interventions against NTDs. The Region accounts for the highest global burden of cutaneous leishmaniasis that continues to disfigure people; individuals often endure stigma leading to social exclusion. Sudan is home to mycetoma, which if not detected and managed early can cause gross deformity of the limbs causing intense suffering, loss of function and impaired ability to work and earn a living, and in advanced cases, can lead to amputation and death. Beyond these examples, all 22 countries are affected by one or more NTDs, either local occurrence or imported cases.
Dr Al-Mandhari has reiterated the importance of working together, coordinating efforts and increasing investment to end the burden of NTDs and address the challenges, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences," More than ever we need to end the burden of neglected tropical diseases, and we need to alleviate the human and economic burden they impose on the Region’s poorest communities who are also suffering from ongoing conflict and civil unrest," Dr Al-Mandhari said, "This is an essential part of our endeavour to achieve ‘health for all by all’ and make progress towards the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
The new road map will sustain the substantial progress that was made to reduce the burden of NTDs under WHO’s first road map for NTDS (2012‒2020). It covers 20 diseases and will help accelerate progress towards the SDGs, in particular SDG 3.3, and overarching global targets.
For the Eastern Mediterranean Region, it means by 2030:
- reduce the number of people requiring treatment for NTDs from 82 million to 8.2 million (90%);
- eliminate at least one NTD in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.
- eradicate guinea worm disease and yaws.
The development of the new road map provides opportunities for countries to share their experiences, including country responses to reduce the burden of NTDs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will focus on how integrated cross-sectoral interventions, smart investment and community engagement can strengthen and sustain health systems to deliver interventions through existing infrastructures.
Related links
Message from Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director, to the launch of the new neglected tropical diseases road map
Geneva, Switzerland, 28 January 2021