Neglected tropical diseases: A biosocial perspective

Abstract

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a medically diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical climates, globally. The World Health Organization has identified 18 diseases as NTDs. These diseases flourish under conditions of poverty and filth, where housing is substandard, drinking water is unsafe, sanitation is poor, insect vectors are rampant, and there is restricted or nearly nonexistent access to health care. NTDs are disablers rather than killers and are a proxy for poverty and disadvantage. The biological and medical diversity of NTDs signifies the fact that their control or elimination strategies also need to be very diverse. There is a necessity of multiple approaches and techniques for control and elimination, which include specialized drugs, preventive chemotherapy, mass drug administration, and vector control (which limit or eradicate insects, e.g., flies and bugs, which transmit the infectious pathogens). Despite an encouraging progress to tackle the menace of NTDs, a large number of people still need high-quality free treatments, care, and much more. There is a need to build capacity of health-care providers in order to sustain implementation of efficient control programs.