World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day
Next: January 30, 2027
Diseases we can beat, people we can't forget.
The story
Where it comes from
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day marks the anniversary of the London Declaration on NTDs, signed on 30 January 2012, which brought countries, donors, drug companies and health groups together to push for action against a group of preventable and treatable diseases. The day was first marked in 2020, championed by the United Arab Emirates, and the World Health Assembly recognised it in 2021. NTDs affect more than a billion people, mostly in the world's poorest and hardest-to-reach communities.
How it's celebrated
Hundreds of partners, from health ministries to charities and researchers, use the day to call for funding and political will, share progress and celebrate the health workers who deliver treatment in remote places. Anyone can join in by learning the names of these diseases, sharing what they learn, and supporting the organisations working to end them.
Did you know
- They are called 'neglected' because of who they affect: some of the world's most overlooked people.
- By December 2025, 58 countries had eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease.
- Between 2011 and 2024, pharmaceutical partners donated some 30 billion treatments against NTDs.
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