The Neglected Tropical Disease Series
Welcome to the Neglected Tropical Disease Series! This series will explore the diverse group of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) through an introduction into their biology, how the effect of them can devastate some of the poorest people in the world, and most importantly, what can be done to reduce their burden.
Firstly, what is a Neglected Tropical Disease? NTDs are a group of diseases, caused by a variety of pathogens such as parasitic worms, viruses and bacteria, that are common in low-income countries. In contrast to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, often referred to as “The Big Three”, which all receive greater levels of funding towards research and treatment, NTDs receive very little funding. NTDs are not always diseases that kill, but they are diseases that can severely disable, stripping many people of their ability to survive, provide and be respected in their communities. NTDs can be prevented through very simple measures, such as adopting sufficient hygiene practices, which makes the statistic of around 1 billion people affected by NTDs every year difficult to comprehend. However, sanitary and other measures similar are not often available or provided in countries greatly affected by NTDs, yet those most likely targeted are those living in poverty, which explains the high infection and burden rate. For a sneak peek into some of the NTDs that will be explored in the upcoming posts in this series, click here.
See what the organisations below are doing about NTDs :
London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases
London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research