Delhi, 30 January (H.S.): On the occasion of World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day 2025, India on Thursday reiterated its commitment to eliminate NTDs by lighting up the iconic India Gate in vibrant shades of purple and orange. This symbolic act is part of a global movement to illuminate iconic landmarks across the world to raise awareness about NTDs and emphasize the importance of collective action to combat these debilitating diseases.

National Health Mission Managing Director Aradhana Patnaik praised India's achievements in tackling NTDs and emphasized the need to raise awareness. She said there is a need to bring out positive, ambitious and achievable NTD goals by focusing on greater dissemination of messages about NTDs and the objective of NTD elimination. This will happen through deep coordination among all stakeholders.

It is worth noting that NTDs are caused by various types of pathogens. These include viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins. They affect more than 1.7 billion people globally. They are neglected due to their almost disappearance from the global health agenda of developed countries and being associated with stigma and social exclusion. Most people are not aware of NTDs, as these diseases affect poor and deprived communities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar