Integrating Mental Health & Person-Centred Approaches in NTD Fight – Africa CDC
Experts Advocate Integrating Mental Health Support into Neglected Tropical Disease Programs
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) impact more than a billion individuals globally, with the moast vulnerable populations bearing the brunt. A collaborative effort among research and implementation organizations is championing evidence-based interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of life and overall well-being for those affected by NTDs.
these interventions are poised for integration into national strategies, aligning with the World Health Organization (WHO) NTD Roadmap (2021–2030), the 2024 Africa CDC NTD Strategy, and other global and regional frameworks that prioritize person-centered approaches to NTD programming.
In 2025, the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Anesvad Foundation, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine convened a roundtable of experts. The discussion focused on translating research findings into actionable strategies for incorporating mental health and well-being support into NTD programs.
The NTD community has achieved significant progress in lessening the global impact of these diseases. It is indeed now well-situated to bolster these achievements by adopting a complete strategy to improve the lives of individuals already living with NTDs.
Integrating Mental Health Support into Neglected Tropical Disease Programs: A Q&A
H2: What are Neglected Tropical Diseases (ntds)?
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections that affect over a billion people globally. According too the provided article,these diseases disproportionately impact the most vulnerable populations.
H2: Why is Mental Health critically important in the Context of NTDs?
The article emphasizes that a collaborative effort among research and implementation organizations is focusing on interventions to enhance the quality of life and overall well-being for those affected by NTDs. Mental health is an integral component of overall well-being. The community affected by NTDs is now well-situated to adopt a complete strategy to improve the lives of these individuals.
H2: What are Experts Doing to Address Mental health and NTDs?
Experts are advocating for the integration of mental health support into NTD programs. The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Anesvad foundation, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, and the Liverpool School of tropical Medicine convened a roundtable of experts in 2025. The focus was translating research findings into actionable strategies.
H2: How Are Current Initiatives Aligning with Existing Frameworks?
These interventions are set to be integrated into national strategies. This aligns with:
The World Health Institution (WHO) NTD Roadmap (2021–2030)
The 2024 Africa CDC NTD Strategy
Other global and regional frameworks that prioritize person-centered approaches.
H2: What is the goal of these Initiatives?
The primary goal is to improve the lives of individuals already living with NTDs.This involves enhancing thier quality of life and overall well-being by addressing the mental health aspects often associated with these diseases.
H2: What are the Key Players involved?
The key players mentioned in the provided text are:
African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
anesvad Foundation
CBM Global Disability Inclusion
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Research and implementation organizations (unspecified)
H2: What Progress Has Been made in the NTD Community?
The NTD community has achieved critically important progress in lessening the global impact of these diseases. This has created a good foundation to incorporate a more complete strategy.
H2: What Are the Next Steps and How Can I Learn More?
the article highlights the importance of integrating mental health and person-centred approaches.
You can download the resources titled: “Integrating Mental health and Person-Centred Approaches in the Fight Against Neglected Tropical diseases (NTDs)” to learn more.