Pressure as UN labels neglected diseases as human rights abuse

Deworming

Mass drug administration of deworming tablets to fight against intestinal parasites.

Photo credit: Courtesty | WHO

For the first time, African countries have succeeded in persuading the United Nations Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution recognising neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as a human rights issue.

This is expected to transform the fight against NTDs by placing them at the centre of global and national policy-making while strengthening accountability and mobilising resources for their elimination.