New Delhi Rail Station Illuminated In Purple, Orange Hues On World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

New Delhi, Jan 31: The New Delhi Railway Station was illuminated in purple and orange hues as India joined close to 40 other nations in observing the third World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day. At an event organized by the National Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) to observe the Day on Sunday, Harmeet Singh Grewal, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, stressed on creating a people’s movement to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases.

“There is a need for a behavioural change. We must fight it together and engage school children, social workers, activists among others to create a mass movement to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases.” The aim of illuminating the New Delhi Railway Station was to generate awareness about Neglected Tropical Diseases among the public and showcase the progress towards their elimination, Grewal said. NTDs are caused mostly by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins. They affect over 1.7 billion people globally. According to the Health Ministry, These diseases are “neglected” because they are almost absent from the global health agenda of the developed countries and are associated with stigma and social exclusion. Lauding India’s efforts towards eliminating these diseases, with a keen focus on lymphatic filariasis, dengue and visceral leishmaniasis, Dr Tanu Jain, the Director of NCVBDC said, “Most people don’t know about Neglected Tropical Diseases because these diseases affect the poor and marginalized communities.” “We need to elevate messaging about such diseases and highlight the positive, ambitious, and winnable goals by focusing on the elimination target. This would happen through close coordination among all stakeholders.” In Jharkhand, Gujarat and Karnataka too, iconic landmarks and monuments were illuminated as part of their commitment to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases. The Rajendra Circle in Ranchi and Clock Tower in Godda district in Jharkhand were lit up in pink and orange colours. The office building of the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Bengaluru was also illuminated to mark World NTD Day.

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