Africa Falls Behind as Only 58 Countries Eliminate Tropical Diseases

Only 58 countries worldwide are on track to eliminate at least one Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed.

Dr María Rebollo Polo, Team Leader for the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, disclosed this information ahead of the annual REMAPSEN Media Forum on NTDs, slated for January 2026 in Cotonou.

While the global target aimed for 100 countries to achieve this milestone, Dr. Polo highlighted Togo as a success story, having eliminated more than one NTD and making significant progress towards eliminating four. “Having at least one African country demonstrate such resilience is an encouraging step toward achieving the global elimination targets,” she stated.

However, the continent is significantly behind schedule in reaching the goal of reducing the need for NTD interventions. According to Dr. Polo, only 32% of the projected 90% target has been met.

“As of today, we are in 32% of people no longer requiring interventions. That is not necessarily a very good progress, which means that by 2030, we are not going to meet the 90%,” Dr. Polo explained. She noted that in 2010, over 2 billion people required treatment for NTDs, but this number has decreased by almost 700 million thanks to elimination efforts.

The WHO official also commended several African nations for their innovative approaches to medicine distribution, particularly after the withdrawal of USAID funding. “Many countries trained local personnel to help distribute the medications, while others integrated distribution into the primary healthcare system,” she said.

Benin, for example, utilized the school platform and existing community health workers, while Ethiopia integrated NTD campaigns with other essential health services like vaccination, malaria testing, and maternal and child health programs. “They also did a joint polio reactivation campaign, reaching 6,000 children,” Dr. Polo added, “and managed to distribute all the NTD medicines without letting these medicines expire.”

The WHO emphasizes that sustained action is vital to free more communities from these preventable diseases and ensure Africa gets back on track to meet global NTD elimination targets.

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