Aid Cuts Threaten Progress on Neglected Tropical Diseases Like Noma
Decades of progress in global health equity are currently being undermined by sharp reductions in international aid, posing a severe threat to the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projects a further 9–17% decline in official development assistance for 2025, following a 9% drop in 2024. These funding cuts disproportionately impact NTDs, which already receive minimal global health financing compared to major diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Specifically, funding for neglected tropical diseases plummeted from US$440 million in 2018 to US$260 million in 2023, representing a significant 41% decrease. This financial shortfall exacerbates the re-emergence of conditions like noma, a devastating gangrenous disease affecting vulnerable populations. The article highlights how converging global crises and shifting political priorities are reversing hard-won gains in public health, leaving marginalized communities increasingly exposed to preventable and treatable diseases that have long been overlooked by the broader international health agenda.
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Aid Cuts Threaten Progress on Neglected Tropical Diseases Like Noma
Decades of progress in global health equity are currently being undermined by sharp reductions in international aid, posing a severe threat to the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projects a further 9–17% decline in official development assistance for 2025, following a 9% drop in 2024. These funding cuts disproportionately impact NTDs, which already receive minimal global health financing compared to major diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Specifically, funding for neglected tropical diseases plummeted from US$440 million in 2018 to US$260 million in 2023, representing a significant 41% decrease. This financial shortfall exacerbates the re-emergence of conditions like noma, a devastating gangrenous disease affecting vulnerable populations. The article highlights how converging global crises and shifting political priorities are reversing hard-won gains in public health, leaving marginalized communities increasingly exposed to preventable and treatable diseases that have long been overlooked by the broader international health agenda.
The Lancet Global Health