Geneva, 7 July 2026 – The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted its first-ever resolution on “Human Rights and Neglected Tropical Diseases” (NTDs). The resolution recognizes that addressing these diseases is not only a public health priority, but also a human rights obligation.
Introduced by Malawi together with Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, The Gambia and Morocco, the resolution highlights the close links between NTDs and fundamental challenges such as poverty, lack of access to safe water, inadequate sanitation, discrimination, and social exclusion. More than one billion people worldwide are affected by these diseases.
African countries have taken a leading role through this initiative. Malawi, a long-standing partner in the global fight against NTDs, continues to drive progress through successful disease elimination programmes and collaboration on tackling female genital schistosomiasis (FGS).
The German Federal Government also supports the resolution. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) shares the human rights-based perspective on neglected tropical diseases and recognizes the particular importance of addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. Germany will support the resolution as a co-sponsor at the UN Human Rights Council.
Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (UTC) has played an active role in supporting the development and advocacy around the resolution and welcomes this historic achievement. The resolution provides an important foundation for integrating human rights principles more fully into national and global strategies to eliminate NTDs.
With the adoption of this resolution, the UN Human Rights Council sends a strong message: no one should be denied dignity, health, education, or participation in society because of a preventable and treatable disease.
