Why drug discovery and development matters for the future of NTDs

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Over the past two decades, global efforts against NTDs have reduced disease burden and improved people’s health and well-being in many settings. What comes next will depend on whether we have the tools – such as safe and efficacious drugs, vaccines and development pipelines – needed to build on these gains and extend them further. On World NTD Day 2026, Swiss TPH Director Jürg Utzinger reflects on why drug discovery and development remain central to the future of NTDs, and what this means for the road ahead.

• Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute