What are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) comprise of 14 parasitic and bacterial infections (http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/diseases/en/). They are the most common afflictions of humankind. The seven most prevalent (ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis, lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and trachoma) affect over one billion individuals, one sixth of the world population. Ninety percent of the disease burden of NTDs is in Africa with the majority of the infected polyparasitised with two or more NTDs. NTDs are widespread, and yet very easy and inexpensive to treat. Children are the most vulnerable. They are named neglected because these diseases persist
exclusively in the poorest and the most marginalized communities, and have been
largely eliminated and thus forgotten in wealthier places. The diseases thrive
in places with unsafe water, poor sanitation, and limited access to basic health
care. Despite the severe pain and life-long disabilities they cause, these
diseases are often less visible and given a low priority alongside high
mortality diseases. NTDs cause human misery due to the stigma, deformities, chronic and debilitating pain they cause. NTDs permanently curtail human potential and cause an enormous economic burden for endemic countries. In children they impair growth and cognitive development thus reducing the child’s ability to learn and benefit from attending school. In adults they significantly reduce their economic productivity, thereby anchoring millions of people in poverty. In the context of poverty, calculations indicate that the control or elimination of these diseases produces an economic rate of return of 15-30%, unlocking the potential for enormous social and economic development, the road out of poverty. Why are they neglected?
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