COVID-19 Sets Back Progress in Effort to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases

GENEVA - The World Health Organization reports the COVID-19 pandemic has set back years of gains made in efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases, a diverse group of 20 illnesses that disproportionately affect impoverished communities in tropical areas. 

Neglected tropical diseases affect 1.7 billion people globally.  Forty percent are in Africa, a continent that encompasses most of the 10 high burden countries in the world.   Over the past decade, the World Health Organization reports great progress has been made in the treatment of many of these life-threatening and debilitating diseases.  It notes 42 countries around the world have eliminated at least one disease. However, Mwelecele Malecela, director of WHO’s department of control of neglected tropical diseases says she fears a lot of this good work could be undone because of the negative impact of COVID-19.