BackgroundBackground

Neglected Communicable (Tropical) Diseases are one of the key areas of concern for our society, as it was clearly formulated by WHO in 2006 (“Neglected Tropical Diseases – Hidden successes, Emerging opportunitites”). This was again expressed at the “WHO Global Partners’ Meeting on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)” on 19-20 April 2007 in Geneva.

Key features of neglected tropical diseases:

  • Neglected tropical diseases affect an estimated one billion people, primarily poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates. They frequently cluster geographically and overlap; individuals are often afflicted with more than one parasite or infection.
  • 100 % of low-income countries are affected by at least five neglected tropical diseases simultaneously.
  • More than 70 % of countries and territories that report the presence of neglected tropical disease are low-income and lower middle-income economies.
  • Infections are attributable to unsafe water, poor housing conditions and poor sanitation.
  • Children are most vulnerable to infections of most neglected tropical diseases.
  • Neglected tropical diseases kill, impair or permanently disable millions of people every year, often resulting in life-long physical pain, social stigmatization and abuse.
  • Many can be prevented, eliminated or even eradicated with improved access to existing safe and cost-effective tools.

Yet these diseases remain neglected at all levels.

Neglect at community level: Neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy, lymphatic filariasis and leishmaniasis are feared and the source of strong social stigma and prejudice. As a result, these diseases are often hidden – out of sight, poorly documented and silent.

Neglect at national level: Neglected tropical diseases tend to be hidden below the radar screens of health services and politicians because they afflict populations that are often marginalized, with little political voice. Although frequently causing severe pain and life-long disabilities, these diseases are generally not major killers. Under resource-limited conditions, high mortality diseases such as HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis are prioritized to the detriment of neglected tropical diseases.

Neglect at international level: Neglected tropical diseases do not travel easily and thus do not pose an immediate threat to western society. Moreover, they are tied to specific geographical and environmental conditions. The development of new diagnostic tools has been under-funded largely because neglected tropical diseases do not represent a significant market. Less than 1% of the 1,393 new drugs registered during 1975–1999 was for tropical diseases. Less than 0.001 % of the US$ 60–70 billion went towards developing new and urgently needed treatments for tropical diseases.

WHO is currently focusing on 14 neglected tropical diseases: Buruli ulcer – Leishmaniasis – Chagas disease – Leprosy – Cholera/Epidemic diarrhoeal diseases – Lymphatic filariasis – Dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever – Onchocerciasis – Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease) – Schistosomiasis – Endemic Treponematoses (yaws, pinta, endemic syphilis…) – Soil-transmitted helminthiasis – Trachoma – Human African trypanosomiasis