World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2023
For the second year WHO is commemorating World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day and the focus of this year’s regional campaign is skin NTDs to promote WHO’s integrated approach to controlling neglected tropical diseases of the skin. Skin NTDs are prevalent in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region.
The Region has the highest global burden of cutaneous leishmaniasis
Egypt, Somalia and Sudan are among 23 global priority countries for leprosy
The burden of scabies is not known
Campaign objectives
The objectives of the campaign are to call on everyone – politicians, donors and partners, health care workers and affected communities – to support the growing momentum for the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases through enhanced early detection, timely treatment, morbidity management and disability prevention. Specifically, to call on people affected by a skin NTD to seek early treatment, which in many instances, is offered free, and on donors to increase funding to sustain regional NTD programmes and mobilize funds to provide care for skin NTDs in the Region.
Background
Skin diseases are the third most common cause of illness and one of the top 10 causes of disability. They are also among the top 10 reasons for outpatient visits. More than half of the 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have skin manifestations; these so-called skin NTDs are frequently accompanied by stigmatization, exclusion and distress.
Leprosy, lymphatic filariasis (lymphoedema and hydrocele), Buruli ulcer, cutaneous leishmaniasis, post-kala azar dermal leishmaniasis, yaws and fungal diseases are among some of the skin NTDs. They all require similar detection and case-management approaches that present opportunities for integration, which both increases cost–effectiveness and expands coverage.
WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region estimates that in 2019 NTDs led to the loss of 1 089 573 disability adjusted life years (DALYs), and in 2020, 75 million people in Region required interventions against NTDs.
Read more about skin NTDs
Neglected tropical diseases course series
The NTD channel offers learning resources to support implementation of the neglected tropical diseases road map for 2021–2030, Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. The road map sets global targets and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate 20 diseases and disease groups, as well as overarching and cross-cutting targets aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
https://openwho.org/channels/ntd
