Context:

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is observed every year on 30^th January.

Neglected Tropical Disease Day

• This year’s global theme for the day is “Unite, Act, and Eliminate NTDs”, emphasizing collective action against NTDs.
• This day marks the anniversary of the landmark 2012 London Declaration on NTDs, which unified partners across sectors, countries, and communities to push action against NTDs.
• The World Health Assembly (WHA) recognized 30 January as World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day through a decision at the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly. 

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) 

• NTDs are a group of preventable and treatable parasitic, viral, bacterial, fungal, and non-communicable diseases that affect more than one billion people globally.
• 54 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, by the end of 2024.
• In 2023, six countries were acknowledged by WHO for eliminating one or more NTD.
• The population requiring NTD interventions decreased by 31% between 2010 and 2023, from 2.19 billion to less than 1.5 billion.
• WHO in 2021 reported that 16 countries accounted for 80% of the global NTD burden.
• NTDs require tropical environments to be transmitted on a large scale.

Key Global Initiative against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

• The road map targets for 2030: These targets are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work:
• 90% fewer people requiring interventions against NTDs
• 75% fewer NTD-related Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)
• 100 countries achieving elimination of at least 1 NTD
• Eradication of 2 NTDs – dracunculiasis and yaws.
• Kigali Declaration on NTDs (2022): It is a high-level, political declaration that is mobilising political will, community commitment, resources and action, and securing commitments needed to end the suffering caused by NTDs.

NTDs Scenario in India

• India experiences the world’s absolute burden of at least 11 NTDs, including hookworm, dengue, lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, kala-azar, and rabies, representing the highest number of cases worldwide.
• India leads the world in terms of the total number of cases for each of the primary NTDs.
• India successfully eradicated trachoma by 2017. Similarly, yaws and guinea worm were also eliminated. 
• India has a target of eradicating lymphatic filariasis by the end of 2027.
• India officially eliminated leprosy in 2005, reducing its prevalence rate to 0.72 per 10,000 people at the national level. 

Key Government Initiative for NTDs

• The National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC): It formulates policies and guidelines, and provides technical and financial assistance under National Health Mission (NHM) norms to the States/UTs for prevention & control of six vector-borne diseases i.e. Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar.
• National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC): Established as a centre of excellence for control of communicable diseases through surveillance, outbreak investigations, and capacity building.
• Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD): Led by CSIR, it fosters collaboration towards discovering novel therapies for NTDs by providing a platform where researchers can collectively address complex challenges in drug discovery.
• National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP): It aims to prevent and control rabies through providing vaccines, training, and awareness generation.