How CBM UK is fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

At CBM UK, we’re working to change that. By tackling NTDs, we are helping to protect the health and futures of the world’s most vulnerable people.

What are Neglected Tropical Diseases?

NTDs are a group of 20+ infectious diseases that thrive in areas with poor sanitation, unsafe water, and limited access to healthcare. They’re called ‘neglected’ because they receive far less attention and funding than other global health issues, despite their huge impact.

Some of the most disabling NTDs include:

• Trachoma – the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness
• River blindness (Onchocerciasis) – a parasitic infection that can cause irreversible sight loss
• Lymphatic filariasis – a mosquito-borne disease that leads to severe swelling and disability
• Schistosomiasis – caused by parasites in contaminated water
• Intestinal worms – affect children’s growth, learning, and health
• NTDs don’t just harm health – they trap people in poverty and exclusion.

Why NTDs matter to CBM UK

At CBM UK, we focus on disability inclusion and ending avoidable blindness; tackling NTDs is central to our work.

These diseases:

• Disproportionately affect people in poverty and people with disabilities
• Lead to long-term impairments like blindness or limb swelling
• Keep children out of school and adults out of work
• Often go untreated because of stigma, distance, or lack of care

We believe no one should suffer needlessly because of where they were born.

How CBM UK is fighting NTDs

We work with local partners, governments, and global networks to stop NTDs at the source.

Here’s how your support helps:

1. Providing essential treatment

We deliver mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns to protect entire communities from diseases like trachoma and river blindness. These medicines are simple, safe, and incredibly effective.

Last year, thanks to our supporters, we treated and protected 2,465,808 people from Neglected Tropical Diseases in areas where they are identified as a public health problem.

2. Promoting hygiene and clean water

Diseases like trachoma and schistosomiasis thrive where there’s no clean water. CBM supports WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial Cleanliness and Environmental improvements) initiatives to stop infections before they start.

3. Training local health workers

From village health volunteers to eye nurses, we train local workers to detect, treat and refer NTD cases – building long-term resilience in communities.

4. Including people with disabilities

We ensure NTD programmes are inclusive, so people with disabilities are not left behind in prevention or treatment campaigns.

5. Supporting global elimination efforts

CBM is a long-standing partner in the global movement to eliminate NTDs. Together, we’re supporting national health systems to build lasting change.

Real Lives: Real Change

In northern Nigeria, together with our partners, we helped deliver medication to millions of people at risk of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, helping entire communities move closer to eliminating these diseases.

We’re also working to provide both surgery and hygiene education, protecting sight for generations to come. Read more about our NTD work.

What you can do

You can be part of the solution.

Donate now and help protect communities from the world’s most overlooked diseases.