Unmasking Social Policy Responses for Neglected Tropical Diseases in Global South

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of communicable diseases that disproportionately affect more than one billion people in the world’s poorest and most marginalized communities, especially in low-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) and international organizations like the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the World Bank support the response to NTDs, which is guided by the WHO Global NTD Roadmap 2021-30. This framework outlines the strategies and interventions for NTD control and elimination, emphasizing the need for a multisectoral approach that involves collaboration between stakeholders such as governments, civil society, NGOs, and the World Bank. The prevalence of NTDs among the most underprivileged and marginalized areas continues to be high despite the availability of interventions and preventive measures. To regulate and eradicate NTDs, however, social policy measures are crucial. This paper aims to unmask the social policy responses towards NTDs, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in their implementation.

The findings highlight the significance of community-based interventions along with cross-cutting approaches. Governments in the region must prioritize NTDs in social policies and allocate adequate resources at the community level and funding for NTD programs to end the neglect. This paper demonstrates the importance of community participation and collective commitment from various stakeholders in eliminating neglect and controlling NTDs.