What are neglected tropical diseases?
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of preventable and treatable diseases that affect about 1.65 billion people around the world. NTDs cause immeasurable suffering. They debilitate, disfigure and can be fatal. By most commonly affecting some of the most vulnerable people in the world – who often live in remote communities – NTDs create cycles of poverty and cost developing nations billions of dollars every year.
Progress
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50 countries
have eliminated at least one NTD
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761m
people received treatment in 2020
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Over 14 billion
treatments donated by pharmaceutical industry between 2012 and 2020
Links to more content
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Disease directory
Find out about each of the twenty-one neglected tropical diseases.
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Resources
Our resource hub captures important strategies, commitments and reports for tackling NTDs. It’s also the place where you can hear from people who are living with NTDs.
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NTD country profiles
The World Health Organization has developed interactive country profiles for NTDs.
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NTD road map tracker
The World Health Organization has developed an interactive dashboard to track progress on the WHO NTD road map.