The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted its first-ever resolution formally recognising the link between human rights and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The landmark move is expected to strengthen global efforts to eliminate the diseases and improve the lives of more than one billion affected people.

This is according to a statement made available on Tuesday by APO Group on behalf of the Anesvad Foundation.

The statement said the resolution marked the first time the council had adopted a dedicated resolution on NTDs.

It elevates the diseases beyond the health sector, recognising them as issues of dignity, equity, inclusion and justice.

The resolution was led by the Republic of Malawi alongside a core group of African member states comprising Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, The Gambia and Morocco.

Supporters said the decision represents a significant milestone in the global campaign against NTDs by acknowledging that the diseases are deeply intertwined with human rights and socio-economic inequalities.

According to the statement, neglected tropical diseases are both caused by and contribute to human rights challenges.

It said that poverty, unsafe water, poor sanitation, inadequate housing, discrimination and limited access to healthcare create conditions that allow the diseases to thrive.

It said that NTDs could lead to disability, disfigurement, stigma, exclusion from education and employment, loss of income and preventable deaths, trapping affected individuals and communities in cycles of poverty and marginalisation.

The human rights council said the resolution would help elevate NTDs within global and national policy agendas.

It said that it would also strengthen accountability, reinforce the relationship between health and human rights, and mobilise greater political commitment and resources towards disease elimination.

Speaking on the development, Malawi’s Minister of Health, Madalitso Chidumu Baloyi, described the adoption as a historic victory for millions of people affected by neglected tropical diseases across the world.

Mr Baloyi said Africa had carried a disproportionate burden of the diseases for generations while simultaneously leading efforts to eliminate them through innovation, political commitment and sustained partnerships.

“Today marks a historic victory for the millions of people affected by neglected tropical diseases around the world.

“Africa has borne a disproportionate burden of these diseases for generations, and African countries have also been leaders in the fight to eliminate them.

“By formally recognising the links between NTDs and human rights, the Human Rights Council has affirmed that no person should be denied dignity.

“No person should be denied opportunity, health or inclusion because of a preventable and treatable disease,” he said.

Also commenting, Stuart Halford, director of advocacy and resource mobilisation at Uniting to Combat NTDs, commended Malawi and other African member states for championing the initiative.

Mr Halford said recognising NTDs as both a public health and human rights issue would help accelerate global efforts to combat the diseases while improving the lives and rights of millions of vulnerable people.

He said the resolution created an opportunity for governments and partners to integrate human rights considerations into national and international strategies aimed at eliminating neglected tropical diseases.

Similarly, Juan Gamboa, chief executive officer of the Anesvad Foundation, described the adoption as a significant step towards ensuring that the elimination of neglected tropical diseases is recognised as a fundamental right.

According to him, sustained political commitment and increased financial investment will be required to translate the resolution into concrete actions capable of ending the diseases within the current generation.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also welcomed the resolution.

Alia El-Yassir, director of WHO’s Department for Gender, Rights, Equity and Sexual Misconduct Prevention, said the resolution acknowledged that neglected tropical diseases were both a public health and human rights challenge.

Ms El-Yassir said it provided an opportunity to strengthen rights-based, equity-oriented and people-centred interventions.

According to her, such interventions address poverty, inequality, stigma and barriers to essential health services, particularly for women and girls who are often disproportionately affected.

According to available data, 63 countries have successfully eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease, demonstrating that sustained investment, effective partnerships and political commitment can produce measurable public health gains.

It said that Africa continued to lead global elimination efforts.

Malawi, for instance, eliminated trachoma as a public health problem in 2022 after previously eliminating lymphatic filariasis and leprosy as public health concerns, while continuing programmes aimed at eliminating additional neglected tropical diseases by 2030.

Supporters of the resolution said it had the potential to catalyse stronger cross-sector collaboration by addressing the underlying factors that sustain neglected tropical diseases.

They listed the factors to include poor access to healthcare, inadequate water and sanitation, substandard housing, educational inequalities, stigma and discrimination.

The resolution also requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct consultations examining the relationship between human rights and neglected tropical diseases.

The consultations are expected to produce recommendations on integrating human rights considerations into national and global responses across the UN system.

They are also expected to provide governments and development partners with practical guidance for more equitable and accountable disease control programmes.

Nigeria remains among countries with a high burden of neglected tropical diseases, including onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections.

Public health experts believed the human rights council’s decision could strengthen advocacy for increased domestic investment.

They say it will also amplify the call for expanded access to quality healthcare, improved water and sanitation services, and stronger community-based interventions to accelerate progress towards eliminating the diseases.

(NAN)