Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
What are NTDs?
NTDs, or neglected tropical diseases, are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions. Examples of NTDs are NTDs include the buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, Dengue and Chikungunya, Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease), Echinococcosis, Foodborne trematodiases, Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Leishmaniasis, Leprosy (Hansen's disease), Lymphatic filariasis, Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Rabies, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted helminthiases, Taeniasis/Cysticercosis, Trachoma, and Yaws (Endemic treponematoses). Every NTD is preventable and treatable. The effect of NTDs has been compared to the capture of 15,000 Bulgarians by the Byzantine Empire in 1014. The Byzantine Empire blinded all of them, except one who could lead the others back to their villages. This forced Bulgarians to care for these prisoners, damaging them for years to come. NTDs are like this because they mainly affect the most secluded people, who are unable to receive adequate medical care. One particular NTD is dracunculus medinensis, or guinea-worm disease. This disease is rarely fatal. In fact, after getting the disease, one will likely not experience anything for an entire year. After that year, a worm will emerge from somewhere on one’s body (usually the feet). The worm has been growing for the entire year and is now almost a meter long. The worm must be pulled out, centimeter by centimeter, until it is removed from the body. The exit site of the worm has severe ulcers and the person is sickly and in pain for months after the worm is removed. It can also cause permanent disability, depending on where the worm grows. The emergence of the worm releases thousands of larvae, repeating the cycle.
Who do NTDs affect?
NTDs affect around 1 billion people. That means that one in seven people are affected by NTDs. NTDs are mostly found in developing countries that lack the infrastructure to give medical attention to each person. NTDs mainly affect populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock.
Why are NTDs important?
NTDs are important because it is one of the few things humanity has come together on and decided to do something about. The WHO roadmap says that 2 NTDs will be eradicated and the elimination of many more. The US pharmaceutical industry pledged to donate medicine to prevent NTDs until many are eradicated. They have donated 15.7 billion dollars worth of drugs so far, making it the largest drug donation to date.What research is being done about NTDs?
Many leading world health organizations are working hard to eradicate many NTDs. The WHO says, "Neglected tropical diseases cause immense human suffering and death. They pose a devastating obstacle to health and remain a serious impediment to poverty reduction and socioeconomic development," concerning the reasons they are working so hard to eradicate NTDs. Links
- http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/diseases/en/
- https://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/about/drug-donation-partnership
- http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/disease/en/
- http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/about/en/
I think because we don't hear about NTDs as much as common diseases, we tend to forget about all the hard work that goes into treating and preventing them. NTDs affect so many people, yet remain mostly unheard of in the U.S. It makes me realize how much research really has to be done and that science is in essence a collaborative effort. I feel grateful for having such an advanced medical system in the U.S., and it's very good that we are working to help other countries who are less fortunate.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is NTD's are more common than "common diseases". HIV/AIDS has 34 million cases with 154,562 research papers. NTDs have about 1 billion cases with a mere 10,770 research papers. This is why these diseases have "neglected" in their name. This lack of research is what makes the fact that the world reacted so effectively very surprising.
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