End the Neglect: Neglected Tropical Diseases

Today we discussed Neglected Tropical Diseases.

1 billion people are affected by 1 or more NTD.

What does "neglected" mean?

• international level- NTDs do not travel easy, not an immediate threat to Western society; diagnostic tools remain underfunded (1% of the 1,393 new drugs 1975-1999 were for tropical diseases, .0001% of US $60-70 billion is spent on new drugs that target NTDs; tied to geographic and environmental conditions
• national level-hidden below the radar screens of health practitioners and politicians; marginalized populations have little political voice; prioritization of diseases is HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB (80% of funding of goes to these diseases, while >NTDs that actually have greater Daily Adjusted Life Years G-Finder Report Mary Moran)
• community level-NTDs cause fear and strong social stigma/prejudice (ie: leprosy, lymphatic filariasis); a misconception of these parasitic diseases

How can we address NTDs?

• Clean Water
• Adequete Sanitation
• Adequate Housing/Nutrition
• Vaccines
• Better Survelience of Diseases
• Integration: multisectorial approach (Agricultural, Education, Environment, and Health Sector communication)
• Innovation: more rapid diagnostic tools and better drugs targeting these diseases; better understanding of immunologic responses to NTDs and humans

What organization(s) can we trust that are fighting NTDs?

*TDR (A Special Programme for Neglected Tropical Diseases): http://apps.who.int/tdr/

------------Tropika.net (Pub-Med of Infectious Diseases): http://tropika.net/

*WHO Department of Control of NTD: http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/en/

*The Global Network for NTDs: http://globalnetwork.org/

*Sabin Vaccine Institute (have a great interactive mapping tool of NTDs): http://www.sabin.org/map/4

*USAID NTDs: http://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/

*PLOS Journal NTDs- great journal referene that is open access! http://www.plosntds.org/home.action

The First Global Report on Research for Infectious Diseases

(to be published Nov 2011):

• What is this? a research "think-tank" of 125 international experts to map R&D (research and development for infectious diseases) of infectious diseases
• 6 disease specific groups and 4 thematic groups were used to compile this report to bring a snap-shot of the world now
• http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/publications/tdrnews/issue-85/global-report
• Three Themes in the Final Report will focus on- Health Systems, Innovation and Technology, and Climate Change

Recently Published!!!! WHO report on NTDs, October 2010:

http://www.who.int/entity/neglected_diseases/2010report/NTD_2010report_web.pdf

Read about this important feat at:

http://endtheneglect.org/2010/10/a-little-less-neglected-a-reception-to-celebrate-the-newly-launched-who-report-on-neglected-tropical-diseases/

Text LIFE to 30644 to End Neglect and receive updates from the Global Network for NTDs!!!!