UN Human Rights Council Adopts First-Ever Resolution on Human Rights and Neglected Tropical Diseases

Geneva, Switzerland – In a landmark moment for global health and human rights, the United Nations Human Rights Council today adopted the first-ever resolution that formally recognizes the profound and inseparable links between human rights and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The historic resolution was led by the Republic of Malawi, alongside a core group of African Member States including Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, The Gambia and Morocco. It marks the first time NTDs have been formally addressed through a dedicated Human Rights Council resolution – elevating these diseases beyond the health sector and recognizing them as issues of dignity, equity, inclusion, and justice. The adoption represents a major milestone in the global fight against NTDs and a powerful acknowledgment that the more than one billion people affected by these diseases can no longer be left behind.