When Neglect Makes People Sick Too: Noma and Neglected Tropical Diseases

The fact that we still need a World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day says a lot about what we have yet to achieve.

[This article was jointly written by Virginia Rodríguez, Policy Advocacy Coordinator at ISGlobal, and Marta Ribes, postdoctoral researcher in noma epidemiology.]

Years after the term Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) entered the global agenda, millions of people continue to live with diseases that are barely talked about, under-researched, and insufficiently treated. And this neglect is not accidental: it is the result of decisions—or the lack of them—within a global system that is currently undergoing profound reconfiguration.

For months now, we have been witnessing and trying to adapt to the deep transformations reshaping the international global health system. Practically all key actors are undergoing restructuring processes and reprioritising their agendas as a result of cuts to Official Development Assistance. NTDs are, as their name suggests, among the most likely to fall through the cracks of these processes. Not only is it difficult to quantify the number of people affected, but they also disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations on the planet. In the current turmoil, using equity as a guiding compass helps answer the fundamental question of what kind of world we want to emerge from this transformation. We want a fairer world.

The Spanish Coalition against Neglected Tropical Diseases, of which ISGlobal is part of the founding group, has been launched to raise awareness of NTDs and mobilise resources, knowledge, and political will in Spain.

One of the NTDs since 2023 is noma, which offers a clear example of how injustice is perpetuated and deepened. This disease affects children living in conditions of extreme poverty, malnutrition, and lack of hygiene. The growing number of conflicts and the climate crisis only increase the number of people at risk. This breeding ground is further intensified by recent cuts to official development aid programmes. These growing social inequalities are likely to translate into a rising number of noma cases, aptly described as a “biomarker of poverty”.

Science, commitment, and coalitions

Noma also offers a powerful example of what is needed to break this vicious cycle. First and foremost, science: knowledge as the foundation for the most effective interventions to diagnose and treat the disease. This knowledge gives a voice to the children who have suffered from noma and those who continue to do so, and survivors have become key actors in raising awareness.

Secondly, the commitment of individuals and institutions determined not to remain indifferent to this injustice. This is the kind of commitment that, 30 years ago, led a Mallorcan organisation—the Fundació Campaner—to take action. Since then, it has mobilised resources and capacities to care for children affected by noma and to raise awareness about the disease. One of the initiatives they are currently promoting is the designation of 3 December—the day their founder Josep Campaner passed away in 2023—as the International Day to Fight Noma. This week, they presented their delegation in Madrid and convened a meeting with parliamentary groups to promote unanimous support for this initiative in the Spanish Congress.

Launch of the Spanish Coalition against NTDs at the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. Bottom right, members of Fundació Campaner and researcher Marta Ribes at the Spanish Congress of Deputies, where they promoted the declaration of 3 December as the International Day to Fight Noma.

Thirdly, coalitions that bring together the efforts of organisations and institutions, such as the Spanish Coalition against Neglected Tropical Diseases, which was officially launched on 29 January at the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. This initiative—of which ISGlobal is part of the founding group—aims to raise awareness of NTDs and mobilise resources, knowledge, and political will in Spain. Its goal is to support efforts to prevent, control, and eliminate these diseases, in line with the objectives of the World Health Organization, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Spain’s global health vision as reflected in the Global Health Strategy approved in 2025.

Science, commitment, and coalitions—with equity as an unwavering compass in these turbulent times.