WHO calls for mental health to be central to neglected tropical disease care

A major new World Health Organization publication sets out, for the first time, a practical, evidence-based package of care to address the mental health impacts of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the stigma that can prevent people from seeking care and participating fully in society. 

The Essential care package to address mental health and stigma for persons with neglected tropical diseases responds to growing evidence that people living with NTDs experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, distress and suicidal behaviours than the general population, driven not only by the direct effects of illness but by stigma, discrimination and social exclusion. 

The Essential Care Package (ECP) provides governments, health leaders, and frontline services with clear guidance on integrating mental health support and stigma reduction into existing NTD programmes and health systems, including prevention, identification, assessment, management, and follow-up.