U.S. and Partners Unite to Combat 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2020
Today, 13 pharmaceutical companies; the U.S., U.K., and U.A.E governments; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; The World Bank; and other global health organizations announced a new, coordinated push to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade.
NTDs are the diseases that many people have never heard of, with hard-to-pronounce names like schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. Yet, taken as a whole, these diseases affect more than 1 billion people and lead to US$10 billion each year in lost productivity and treatment costs. These diseases disproportionately impact poor and rural populations who lack access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and essential medicines.
In just 4 years, USAID’s NTD Program has supported the delivery of more than half a billion treatments to more than 232 million people in 20 countries.
Learn more:
Watch the recorded webcast from this morning’s event in London.
Download the press materials related to the partnership Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases.
View an interactive map showing the burden of NTDs in countries around the world and the related infographic detailing the partnership.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NTDs