Overview
- An international team led by João Furtado and Justine Smith published a viewpoint in late June 2026 calling on WHO to classify toxoplasmosis as a neglected tropical disease to drive coordinated action.
- Toxoplasma gondii infects roughly one third of people worldwide and causes ocular disease and congenital infections that can lead to permanent retinal scarring, vision loss, miscarriage, and neurological damage.
- The parasite spreads through cat feces, contaminated food and water, and undercooked meat, and most infections are latent but pose serious risks during pregnancy and for people with weakened immune systems.
- Authors say toxoplasmosis meets WHO NTD criteria because it disproportionately harms poor communities, is preventable through public health measures, and receives far less research and policy attention than its burden warrants.
- The paper outlines a practical roadmap—antenatal screening, improved diagnostics, food and water safety, integrated primary care, and multisectoral One Health coordination—but WHO has not yet changed the disease list and advocacy now aims to prompt that decision.