Malawi Minister Calls for Human Rights Council Resolution on Neglected Tropical Diseases

Malawi's Minister of Health and Sanitation stated that neglected tropical diseases limit access to education, employment, and community participation in affected countries. The minister described personal observations from clinical work through national program leadership and current ministerial duties.

The diseases cause disability, disfigurement, and death, according to the statement. They affect populations already facing barriers to health services, schooling, and income opportunities.

Malawi eliminated trachoma as a public health problem in 2022. The country has also removed lymphatic filariasis and leprosy from the list of public health concerns and aims to eliminate schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, and onchocerciasis by 2030.

Twenty-five African countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Malawi is integrating diagnosis and treatment of female genital schistosomiasis into routine health services.

Malawi and other African member states will present a resolution titled "Human Rights and Neglected Tropical Diseases" at the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The text would formally recognize the diseases within the council's mandate for the first time.

The minister said the resolution would increase visibility outside the health sector and support efforts to expand prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.