Why Mental Health and Stigma Matter in the Global Fight Against Neglected Diseases

The WHO’s 2025 report argues that eliminating neglected tropical diseases will fail unless mental health care and stigma reduction are integrated into routine NTD services. By embedding simple, community-based mental health support and anti-stigma action into health systems, the report reframes NTD elimination as a matter of dignity, inclusion, and well-being, not just disease control.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect more than one billion people worldwide, mostly among the poorest and most marginalized communities. Yet the damage they cause goes far beyond infection and physical disability. According to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, people living with NTDs face a much heavier and often invisible burden: poor mental health and deep social stigma. Developed with contributions from institutions such as CBM Global Disability Inclusion, The Leprosy Mission, the Netherlands Leprosy Relief, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, The Carter Center, Lepra, Effect:Hope, Johns Hopkins University, King’s College London, and the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, the report calls for a fundamental shift in how NTDs are addressed, one that places mental health and dignity at the centre of care.

When Disease Meets Distress

Living with an NTD often means living with pain, long-term treatment, disability, or visible symptoms. But the emotional toll can be just as severe. Depression, anxiety, distress, and even suicidal thoughts are far more common among people affected by NTDs than in the general population. Much of this suffering is driven by stigma, being avoided by neighbours, excluded from work or school, or treated as a source of shame. The report stresses that mental health is not only about diagnosed illnesses. Many people experience constant fear, sadness, or low self-esteem without ever receiving care. Ignoring this distress allows it to grow, making recovery harder and lives more fragile.

Stigma: The Disease That Spreads Silently

Stigma is described as one of the most powerful forces shaping the lives of people with NTDs. It appears in laws and policies that discriminate, in communities that reject affected families, and in individuals who begin to believe they are less worthy than others. Diseases that cause visible changes to the body, such as leprosy or lymphatic filariasis, are especially stigmatized. Women and girls often face harsher consequences, including exclusion from marriage and livelihoods. The report makes one point clear: without actively reducing stigma, medical treatment alone cannot succeed.

A New Model of Care That Fits Real Life

To address this gap, WHO proposes an Essential Care Package that integrates mental health and stigma reduction into existing NTD and primary health-care services. Instead of relying only on scarce specialists, the approach trains general health workers to recognize distress, screen for common mental health problems, provide basic psychological support, and refer people when needed. Community-based peer support groups, self-help strategies, and simple counselling tools are also key parts of the package. Just as importantly, the report promotes proven anti-stigma actions, such as community education, social contact with affected people, and advocacy to change harmful beliefs. This integrated model is designed to work in low-resource settings, where most NTDs occur.

From Elimination to Dignity

The report argues that eliminating neglected tropical diseases should not be measured only by reduced infection rates. True success also means better mental well-being, social inclusion, and respect for human rights. People living with NTDs must be involved in shaping policies and services, not treated as passive recipients of care. Governments are urged to reform discriminatory laws, invest in integrated services, and track mental health outcomes alongside disease data. The message is simple but powerful: NTD programmes that ignore mental health and stigma will always fall short. Those that address them can transform lives, restore dignity, and make elimination goals truly sustainable.