Celebrating the First World NTD Day on January 30 - #BeatNTDs - For good. For All.
© CBM
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is being celebrated for the first time on 30 January 2020. CBM joins more than 250 partners around the world in the fight to eliminate NTDs.
CBM’s work in NTDs
CBM has been successfully involved in the prevention of blindness from onchocerciasis and trachoma for more than 20 years. In 2018, with support from our partners and donors, CBM helped to treat over 48 million people in 9 countries against:
- Trachoma
- Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
- Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis)
- Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia)
- Soil Transmitted Helminthes (Intestinal Worms)
Our partners work with governments and front-line health workers in highly challenging conditions, delivering NTD programmes in areas affected by poverty, conflict and Ebola (in DRC) to ensure No-one is Left Behind.
Know more about our work
Read our 2019 annual NTD Report that outlines significant progress made towards the goal of eliminating these avoidable diseases.
Read this article co-authored by CBM’s Senior Advisor for NTDs, Martin Kollmann, on why disability inclusion is essential to achieve universal health coverage and the elimination of trachoma.
What are the NTDs
NTDs are primarily parasitic, bacterial or viral infections that thrive amongst the poorest and most marginalized people, families and communities. Threatening more than 1.5 billion people worldwide, they are spread by human contact, insects, contaminated water and soil infested with the eggs or larvae of worms.
Once widely dispersed, NTDs now persist in settings of extreme poverty, urban slums and conflict zones.
Though diverse in terms of causes and effects, NTDs frequently affect the same communities. They are responsible for about 500,000 deaths per year but chiefly are causing pain, disfigurement and chronic disability, impairing childhood growth and mental development and hindering economic growth – trapping people, families and entire communities in a cycle of poverty.
However, all is not lost
The global NTD community has reached considerable progress the past decade. Since 2012 alone, 31 countries have eliminated at least one NTD. Furthermore, with the start of the new decade, a new WHO Roadmap for 2021 – 2030 is under development. To achieve the new NTD goals that will guide progress for this decade, we hope to further strengthen current systems and increase political and financial resources to respond to the threat of NTDs. With the introduction of the first World NTD Day, the global NTD community hopes to mobilize greater attention and awareness, and drive action and investment on priority issues in affected regions and countries around the world.
Quote by Martin Kollmann, Senior Advisor for NTDs at CBM
Dr. Martin Kollmann
© CBM
“The first ever world NTD day is a great opportunity to celebrate unprecedented success of this global partnership in our common fight to end NTDs. At the same time we must reflect on the great challenges ahead to make NTD programs more comprehensive and inclusive so no one is left behind. We are committed to enhance our support to affected persons and communities, national programs and WHO – for CBM, every single person counts!”