A new global care package aims to tackle depression, stigma, and social exclusion faced by millions living with neglected diseases
Geneva, 4 February 2026 – For the first time, the world has a clear, practical plan to address the mental health burden linked to neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs. A new publication from the World Health Organization sets out an evidence-based care package designed to improve mental well-being and reduce stigma for people affected by these long-overlooked illnesses.
Neglected tropical diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide, mainly in low-income and marginalized communities. While the physical symptoms of these diseases are well known, their impact on mental health has often been ignored. According to the WHO, people living with NTDs experience much higher rates of depression, anxiety, emotional distress, and suicidal thoughts than the general population.
These mental health challenges are not caused by illness alone. Stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion often prevent people from seeking care, finding work, or fully participating in community life. The new Essential Care Package, or ECP, argues that disease elimination efforts will fall short unless mental health and stigma are treated as a core part of care, not as an optional extra.
The ECP provides step-by-step guidance for governments, health systems, and frontline workers on how to integrate mental health support into existing NTD programmes. This includes prevention, early identification of distress, assessment, treatment, follow-up, and long-term support. The goal is to make mental health care a routine part of NTD services, even in settings with limited resources.
Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of the WHO Department of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, said NTDs place a heavy burden on people’s mental and social well-being. He explained that by directly addressing stigma and mental health, countries can move closer to the WHO’s vision of complete health, not just the absence of disease.
The care package outlines clear roles for everyone involved. People living with NTDs are encouraged to recognize signs of emotional distress, seek help early, connect with peer support, and understand their rights to health care, employment, and community participation. Families and communities are seen as essential partners, helping to spot problems early and challenge harmful beliefs that lead to exclusion.
Experts say the strength of the ECP lies in its focus on real-world practice. Professor Julian Eaton from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine noted that integration often fails when it is treated as an added burden on already stretched health services. He said the package shows what meaningful integration looks like, from involving people with lived experience to routine screening, compassionate care, and strong referral systems that reduce isolation and self-stigma.
For frontline health workers, the ECP emphasizes person-centred care. It recommends embedding basic mental health support directly into NTD services, including simple education about mental health, routine screening, and clear pathways to peer groups, physical health care, and specialist mental health services. Training is also highlighted as a way to reduce stigma within health systems and ensure that mental health needs are properly recorded and addressed.
At the health system level, the ECP calls for better coordination between NTD and mental health programmes, rather than running them separately. Suggested actions include strengthening community-based peer support, adding mental health indicators to routine NTD data collection, and testing collaborative care models where mental health specialists work directly within NTD services.
The WHO says these steps can make integrated care possible even in low-resource settings. Over time, this approach could improve quality of life, strengthen treatment adherence, and support progress toward NTD elimination and universal health coverage.
The Essential Care Package was developed through a broad international collaboration led by the World Health Organization, working alongside academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and groups representing people affected by NTDs. Together, they hope the guidance will help shift global health systems toward more humane, inclusive, and effective care.