WHO Urges Mental Health Care at Heart of NTD Elimination Efforts

Marking World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that millions of people living with NTDs continue to endure profound and largely invisible suffering driven by stigma, discrimination and untreated mental health conditions—even as global progress toward elimination accelerates.

Under the global rallying call "Unite. Act. Eliminate.", WHO and its partners urged governments and donors to integrate mental health care and stigma reduction into NTD elimination strategies, warning that disease control alone will not end the human toll of these conditions.

More than one billion people worldwide are affected by NTDs, and a similar number live with mental health conditions. Those affected by NTDs that cause physical impairments or disfigurement—including leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mycetoma and noma—face particularly high levels of social exclusion, discrimination and psychological distress.

"Ending neglected tropical diseases is not only about eliminating pathogens," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "True elimination means freeing people from the shame, isolation and despair that too often accompany these diseases."

Mental Health: The Missing Link in Elimination

Misconceptions about contagion and infection continue to fuel stigma, leaving many people isolated from education, work and community life. Evidence shows that people living with chronic NTDs experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviour than the general population and even those living with other chronic illnesses—yet most receive little or no mental health support.

To address this gap, WHO has launched its first global guide on an Essential Care Package (ECP) to address mental health and stigma for people affected by NTDs. The guide provides practical, evidence-based interventions to:

• Promote positive mental health

• Identify and assess mental health conditions

• Manage and treat psychological distress

• Reduce stigma at individual, community and health-system levels

WHO said the guide equips health leaders with tools to embed mental health care into routine NTD services, ensuring more holistic and humane responses.

Hard-Won Gains Under Threat

The World NTD Day campaign highlights that NTDs remain among the most solvable and cost-effective challenges in global health. Over the past decade, coordinated action has reduced the number of people requiring NTD interventions to a historic low of 1.4 billion, alongside sharp declines in illness and death.

To date, 58 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, putting the world within reach of WHO's goal of 100 countries by 2030.

However, WHO warned that this momentum is at risk. The Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases 2025 shows that official development assistance for NTDs fell by 41 percent between 2018 and 2023, threatening to reverse years of progress.

This funding decline contrasts sharply with the economic case for action: every US$1 invested in preventive chemotherapy delivers an estimated US$25 return. Without renewed investment, NTDs will continue to cost affected families and communities an estimated US$33 billion annually in lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses.

Call to Action: Protect Progress, Treat the Whole Person

WHO called on governments, donors and global partners to safeguard past gains, mobilize new funding, accelerate innovation and integrate mental health services into NTD responses as a core component of elimination.

This World NTD Day, WHO urged the global community to listen to affected communities, support country-led solutions, and ensure that elimination efforts address not only disease—but dignity.

Stories of resilience and national success are featured on the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2026 platform, highlighting what is possible when science, solidarity and compassion align.