19th May 2025
At a high-level ceremony at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus celebrated what he called a “golden age of disease elimination,” spotlighting historic progress in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other major public health threats.
The ceremony underscored the extraordinary return on investment in the fight against NTDs, with 11 countries recognized for eliminating at least one NTD since the start of 2024—a powerful reminder that global momentum toward the WHO NTD Roadmap goals remains strong despite mounting challenges. Among those celebrated were Mauritania and Papua New Guinea, who both announced the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem today. Papua New Guinea’s milestone marks its first-ever NTD elimination, bringing the total number of countries globally that have eliminated at least one NTD to 56. The other countries honored for recently eliminating an NTD included Niger, Guinea, Vietnam, Chad, Jordan, Brazil, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and India.
“Today’s celebration highlights the remarkable progress countries can achieve with sustained investment and strong leadership. We must protect and build on these gains. As we face mountain financial challenges, it is crucial that we continue to identify and unlock new and innovative funding solutions for NTDs.”
In addition, Dr. Tedros acknowledged significant milestones beyond NTDs, including Cabo Verde and Egypt for eliminating malaria; Guinea for eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus; Brazil for being re-validated as measles-free; Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis; and Armenia and Dominica for re-validation of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Dr. Tedros also paid tribute to the enduring legacy of the late President Jimmy Carter, noting that only 15 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported last year, confined to just 12 villages in Chad and South Sudan.
These achievements come at a pivotal moment. With recent large-scale cuts to official development assistance (ODA) the future of global disease elimination efforts faces a significant threat. Yet the elimination progress celebrated in Geneva is a powerful reminder of what is possible when political will and sustained investment align. As world leaders continue to gather at WHA this week to confront these challenges, this week offers a critical opportunity to continue to explore critical solutions to secure adaptive and innovative financing for NTDs – to protect progress, accelerate elimination, and strengthen health systems for all.