Africa: Integrating Mental Health and Person-Centred Approaches in the Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect over a billion people worldwide, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable communities. A consortium of research and implementation agencies has taken forward strong evidence-base for interventions that support improved quality of life and wellbeing for people living with NTDs.

These are now ready to be incorporated into national action that aligns to the World Health Organization (WHO) NTD Roadmap (2021-2030), the 2024 Africa CDC NTD Strategy and other global and regional frameworks for person-centred approaches to NTD programming.

In 2025, the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Anesvad Foundation, CBM Global Disability Inclusion and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, alongside key global health organisations, hosted an expert roundtable on translating research into practical action on the integration of mental health and wellbeing into NTD programmes.

The NTD community has made great strides in reducing the global burden of NTDs, and is now well positioned to support these efforts, ensuring a holistic approach to improving the lives of people already affected by NTDs.

By Africa CDC.