Fast Facts

One hundred percent of low-income countries are affected by at least five neglected tropical diseases simultaneously
Worldwide, 149 countries and territories are affected by at least one neglected tropical disease (NTD)
NTDs are a major cause of disease burden, resulting in approximately 57 million years of life lost due to premature disability and death
Individuals are often afflicted with more than one parasite or infection
Treatment cost for most NTD mass drug administration programs is estimated at less than US fifty cents per person per year

Since the Guinea Worm Eradication Program began, the annual number of cases of Guinea worm disease has fallen from an estimated 3.5 million in 20 countries* in 1986 to 25 cases in three counties 2016, a decrease of more than 99%. In 2016, only three countries had ongoing transmission of Guinea worm disease: Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

* On July 9, 2011, the Republic of South Sudan was formed. Prior to this date, South Sudan was part of Sudan and GWD cases in South Sudan were reported under Sudan. Therefore, the GWEP began with 20 Guinea worm-endemic countries, not 21.

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis has called for the elimination of LF by 2020
In August 2007, the World Health Organization certified that the People's Republic of China was the first endemic country to have successfully eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem, followed by the Republic of Korea in March 2008
Interruption of LF transmission has been successful in Costa Rica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago
Within the first eight years of the worldwide elimination program, 1.9 billion treatments for LF were delivered to more than 570 million people in 48 countries
6.6 million newborns are now protected from becoming infected with LF
The economic benefit of the first seven years of the program is estimated at US $24 billion. The full economic benefit could exceed US $55 billion

Onchocerciasis, and the debilitating blindness it causes, has been eliminated as a public health problem from ten West African countries
Onchocerciasis has been eliminated in 11 of the 13 major areas where the infection was being transmitted in the Americas

700 million people are at-risk of acquiring schistosomiasis
207 million people suffer from schistosomiasis
Approximately 90% of those infected with schistosomiasis live in Africa
From 2006 to 2009, the number of people treated for schistosomiasis in Africa doubled. However, less than 7% of the affected population was treated
Treatment for schistosomiasis is ongoing for 27 million school children in Africa

Trachoma is endemic in 57 countries, with 40 million people in need of treatment
Blinding trachoma has been eliminated from Iran, Mexico, Morocco, Oman and the United States; additional countries are expected to eliminate this devastating disease