Progress for NTDs: two resolutions adopted at WHA78

The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly took a significant step forward in the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) on Saturday 24 May, by adopting two resolutions that call for stronger global action: “Accelerating the eradication of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease)” and “Skin diseases as a global public health priority”.

“These resolutions are not only timely – they are transformative”, said Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director, WHO Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme. “One calls everyone to take resolutive action to wipe out a disease through a final push. The second gives long-overdue visibility and voice to people suffering from skin diseases, which, if left untreated, can result in disability, stigma, and discrimination".