When the global health community talks about Neglected Tropical Diseases, we don’t mean that these are diseases that just need a little more love and nurture.
We do mean that they need more attention though – and since over 1 billion humans suffer one of these diseases, there are a lot of reasons to care.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) include some obscure and some surprisingly well-known fevers, viruses, parasites, toxins and fungi, including leprosy.
Here’s why this matters more and more:
1. These diseases worsen with climate change: the more warmth, humidity and temperature extremes there are, the more these pathogens spread, strengthen and impact. As Australian climates heat up the risk to Australians grows too.
2. Impoverished areas are most at-risk and least able to control outbreaks, contagion and illness. Little children may experience life-long disability. Older and poorer communities likewise have much to lose.
3. Simple interventions like clean water, hand washing, education and simple medication can often protect large numbers of people from the devastating impact of these diseases.
4. The social and economic impact of them affects the whole world, contributing to suffering, unrest, lost opportunities and inequality.
5. Uniting to raise awareness and co-operating to free humanity from the misery these pathogens cause is a remarkable gift for our generation to give the world.
Doing our part to defeat leprosy and all other NTD’s will have far-reaching positive effects on billions of people, long into the future.
At the moment the World Health Organisation estimates 1.6 billion people require intervention due to a Neglected Tropical Disease.
On January 30 the World Health Organisation is calling on people to UNITE and ACT to ELIMINATE such diseases.
You can help by:
- Learning more at World NTD Day 2025
- Spreading the word! WHO Media Library
- Donating to organisations working to prevent, protect, heal and help all people exposed to Neglected Tropical Diseases, including Leprosy Mission Australia
Leprosy Mission Australia is strongly committed to our #ZeroLeprosy goal of stopping the spread of leprosy in the next decade. Join the fight!
#WorldNTDDay #EndStigma #UniteActEliminateLeprosy #ZeroDiscrimination
