Regional Strategic Framework for sustaining, accelerating and innovating to end neglected tropical diseases in the South-East Asia Region, 2024–2030

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of disease conditions that are most common in the tropical and subtropical regions. These diseases most heavily affect people living without access to adequate sanitation, basic infrastructure and health services. In addition to significant morbidity and mortality, these diseases can lead to stigma and discrimination in communities.

NTDs are an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG Target 3.3 specifically aiming to end this epidemic by 2030. Achieving this target will also have a direct impact on Target 3.8, which aims to achieve universal health coverage.

Efforts to control and eliminate NTDs also drive the wider provisions of clean water, sanitation and hygiene (SDG 6), the availability of resilient infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13) and strong global partnerships (SDG 17). In other words, success in controlling and eliminating NTDs can act as a litmus test for progress on universal health coverage and other relevant SDGs, as the fight against NTDs is a journey to ensure that the most marginalized and neglected populations that are most in need are equitably reached by appropriate health services and basic infrastructure and are empowered by essential health literacy so that “no one is left behind”.

Home to a quarter of the world’s population, the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region bears the world’s highest burden of NTDs today. Sixteen out of the 21 NTDs globally prioritized by WHO continue to be public health problems in the 11 Member States of the Region.