WHO says gains against neglected tropical diseases are fragile
· BehindLines newsroom
The World Health Organization published on 4 November its mid-term review of the 2021-2030 road map against neglected tropical diseases. According to the Anadolu agency, 63 countries had eliminated at least one of these diseases by June 2026, up from 42 in 2020, but WHO calls the gains “fragile”.
The number of people needing interventions fell to 1.41 billion in 2024, which is 36% fewer than in 2010 according to Anadolu and 19% fewer than in 2020 according to Health Policy Watch. Sleeping sickness cases are down 98% since 1999, and Guinea worm disease hit a historic low of 10 human cases in 2025. Health Policy Watch reports that Togo is the first country to have eliminated four of these diseases, and that three indicators met their 2025 milestones: chikungunya vaccine development, lower dengue case fatality and availability of WHO-recommended antivenoms.
The picture remains mixed. According to Anadolu, dengue reached a record 15.1 million cases in 2024 and efforts to eradicate yaws are behind schedule. Programme resources remain about 30% below pre-pandemic levels, and nearly 80% of international aid between 2018 and 2024 came from a small group of donors, leaving programmes exposed to sudden cuts. Health Policy Watch adds that financing is the main obstacle, alongside conflict, climate change and weak surveillance.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the elimination of these diseases as “one of the standout success stories of global health”, while warning that the gains could be reversed without sustained financing. WHO calls for more domestic funding, broader donor support and integration into primary care.
What remains unknown: the exact size of the funding gap, the numerical 2030 targets for each disease and how donors will respond, as the sources consulted do not detail them.