1.4 billion people still need treatment for neglected diseases
Around 1.4 billion people needed interventions against neglected tropical diseases in 2024, 36% fewer than in 2010. Aid for these diseases fell 41% between 2018 and 2023.
How this affects people
WHO reports that 65 countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease as of September 2026. In 2023, 867.1 million people were treated, and deaths fell from 139,000 to 119,000 over the period WHO tracks.
Progress is fragile. Official development assistance for these diseases dropped 41% between 2018 and 2023, and WHO's 2025 assessment found priority needs in four of the 11 dimensions of its 2030 road map.
Look at what keeps the problem going
- 01Falling official development assistance for these diseases
- 02Gaps in programme delivery against the 2030 road map
- 03Disease burden concentrated in poor, remote communities
- 04Deep cuts to wider global-health funding
What could happen next
The future leaves room for choices. Compare the outlooks, check what supports them and notice where the evidence becomes less certain
Funding is the near-term risk
Aid for NTDs fell 41% between 2018 and 2023, and WHO warns that aid cuts threaten to stall gains.
The future is not a timetable. These summaries reflect published scenarios and trends, with deeper uncertainty at longer horizons. Choices made now matter.
Where could a useful response begin?
Begin with a question you can investigate. Compare the sources and follow related briefings to see how the problem connects to other lives and places. This prototype does not accept proposals yet.
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