Social Work for the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases

The global battle against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has seen significant progress, yet social workers’ involvement remains limited, particularly in high-prevalence regions like India. This stems from undefined roles and a lack of focus within existing NTD frameworks. Integrating social work into NTD intervention is crucial for addressing the diverse challenges associated with these diseases, especially their social dimensions. To address this gap, we propose a social work model for NTD control, leveraging its strengths in understanding socio-cultural dynamics and fostering community engagement. We contend that social workers can make substantial contributions to the fight against NTDs by collaborating with other teams. Their roles can encompass several critical areas: conducting epidemiological analysis, engaging communities in disease prevention, researching socio-cultural determinants, and advocating for policy changes. To maximize their impact, it is essential to establish relevant ethical standards and implement capacity-building initiatives for social workers involved in NTD interventions. Through these efforts, social workers can play a key role in combating NTDs in India and improving public health outcomes in affected communities.