World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

NTDs are considered "neglected" because they primarily affect marginalized and impoverished communities with limited access to healthcare, education, and sanitation. These diseases often receive insufficient attention and resources compared to other global health issues.

There are 20 main neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are their names:

1. Leprosy (Hansen's disease)
2. Buruli ulcer
3. Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis)
4. Dengue and chikungunya
5. Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease)
6. Echinococcosis (hydatidosis)
7. Foodborne trematode infections
8. Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
9. Leishmaniasis (cutaneous and visceral)
10. Lymphatic filariasis
11. Mycetoma
12. Onchocerciasis (river blindness)
13. Rabies
14. Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)
15. Soil-transmitted helminthiases
16. Taeniasis and neurocysticercosis
17. Trachoma (leading cause of infectious blindness)
18. Yaws
19. Cysticercosis
20. Snakebite envenoming

These diseases primarily affect impoverished and marginalized populations in tropical and subtropical regions, and efforts are being made to control and eliminate them to improve global health and reduce poverty.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) have a devastating impact, causing disability, disfigurement, and death. They hinder economic development, trapping affected communities in a cycle of poverty. NTDs primarily afflict vulnerable populations with limited access to healthcare and sanitation. Addressing NTDs is crucial for global health equity and sustainable development.