World NTD Day: WHO Warns Funding Cuts Threaten Gains as Global Burden Drops by 36%

As the world marked World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day on 30 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised both optimism and concern over the global fight against these preventable and treatable illnesses that still affect some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

According to new WHO data, Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs continued to impact 1 billion people globally, largely in low-income and underserved populations. Despite this, significant progress had been recorded over the past decade.

WHO reported that 1.4 billion people needed NTD interventions in 2024, representing a 36% decline since 2010—a major milestone reflecting sustained global health efforts.

By early 2026, a total of 58 countries had successfully eliminated at least one NTD, bringing the world closer to WHO’s target of 100 countries free of at least one NTD by 2030.

However, WHO warned that these hard-fought gains were now at risk due to funding cuts, which could slow or even reverse years of progress.

Despite the looming challenges, NTD interventions remained one of the most cost-effective global health investments. WHO emphasized that every $1 spent on NTD prevention yielded $25 in economic benefits, highlighting the value of sustained funding and investment in community-level programmes.

On this year’s World NTD Day, WHO called for renewed global commitment:
Supporting country-led efforts to tackle NTDs; Protecting existing funding for NTD programmes, which included Promoting innovation and strong partnerships across sectors.

The organization stressed that eliminating NTDs is one of the most achievable and equitable goals in global health, urging governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to act decisively.

As WHO noted, the world had already proven that progress is possible — but sustaining momentum would require unity, commitment, and continued investment.

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