The WHO Essential Care Package on Mental Health and Stigma: Advancing Human Rights for Persons Affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases

In February 2026, the World Health Organization launched the Essential Care Package (ECP) to address mental health and stigma for persons affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The ECP represents a significant step forward in promoting health, dignity, and human rights. By recognizing the psychological and social consequences of NTDs alongside their physical effects, the ECP addresses a long-standing gap in health systems and provides practical guidance for more holistic and person-centred care.
From a human rights perspective, the ECP is particularly important because it affirms health as a right. While the UN defines human rights as universal rights inherent to all individuals[1], the WHO establishes that every human being has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health[2]. Many persons affected by NTDs like leprosy, experience stigma, discrimination, social exclusion, loss of livelihood, and barriers to participation. These experiences often result in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, social isolation and suicidal ideation[3]. Addressing such challenges is essential to realizing the right to health and other related human rights.
A notable strength of the ECP is its emphasis on dignity, inclusion, and person-centred support. The package encourages early identification of mental health concerns, community-based interventions, strengthening of referrals, peer support mechanisms, basic psychological support, and Look-Listen-Link principles[4]. It also highlights the importance of reducing social stigma, thereby addressing one of the root causes of human rights violations.
The ECP further promotes meaningful participation of people with lived experience. Their involvement in programme design, service delivery, peer support, and advocacy reflects a rights-based approach that values autonomy, empowerment, and inclusion. Such participation is consistent with international human rights principles and commitments.
Importantly, the ECP demonstrates that mental health support is not an optional addition to NTD programmes but an essential component of quality care. Integrating mental health and stigma reduction into routine health services can improve treatment outcomes, strengthen resilience, promote inclusion, and enhance quality of life.
The WHO ECP on mental health is more than a technical resource. It is a practical instrument for advancing human rights. Its widespread dissemination and implementation can help ensure that persons affected by NTDs are not only treated for disease but are also supported to live with dignity, equality, inclusion, and full enjoyment of their human rights.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights
2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-rights-and-health
3. Koschorke M, Al-Haboubi YH, Tseng P-C, Semrau M and Eaton J (2022) Mental health, stigma, and neglected tropical diseases: A review and systematic mapping of the evidence. Front. Trop. Dis 3:808955. doi: 10.3389/fitd.2022.808955
4. Nayak PK, Mackenzie CD, Agarwal A, van Wijk R, Mol MM, Eaton J, et al. (2025) A new guide for basic psychological support for persons affected by neglected tropical diseases: A peer support tool suitable for persons with a diagnosis of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 19(1): e0011945. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011945