Over 60 Faith Leaders Urge U.S. Leadership in Fight to End Neglected Tropical Diseases
27 January 2026 | Washington, DC – Today, a broad and diverse coalition of more than 60 faith leaders are calling on the United States to renew its leadership in the fight to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The coalition includes major national religious institutions such as the National Council of Churches, the National Council of Synagogues, and the Islamic Society of North America, alongside Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu community leaders. The signatories reflect a wide range of religious traditions united by a shared moral commitment to protect human dignity and care for the most vulnerable.
NTDs are a group of devastating illnesses that affect more than one billion people globally, primarily those living in extreme poverty. Over the past two decades, U.S. leadership—backed by strong bipartisan support and partnerships with American pharmaceutical companies—has helped deliver more than 3.3 billion treatments, enabling dozens of countries to make historic progress toward eliminating these ancient diseases.
Faith communities have been central to that success. Mission hospitals, mosques, synagogues, churches, temples, and faith-based clinics are often the first and most trusted point of care in remote villages, informal settlements, and refugee settings—making them indispensable partners in delivering life-saving medicines and community education. Faith-led partnerships have helped dramatically reduce river blindness and intestinal worms in places such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia, while programs in Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sudan have pushed diseases like lymphatic filariasis and trachoma to the brink of elimination.
The interfaith coalition urges the U.S. to protect decades of progress and ensure the elimination of these diseases remains within reach. The signatories also call on U.S. leadership to:
Maintain bipartisan support for proven global health programs
Recognize faith-based partners as critical delivery and trust networks
Affirm U.S. moral leadership in defending the dignity of the world’s poorest communities
You can read the interfaith letter calling for U.S. Leadership to End Neglected Tropical Diseases here, along with the current list of signatories.