It's well known that podoconiosis—a form of tropical lymphoedema caused by long-term exposure to volcanic soils—causes massive swelling in the lower limbs and intense stigma. But globally there’s little detailed data on the condition’s toll, which hinders much-needed…
February 25, 2019
The WHO's strategy aimed at halving deaths and disability by 2030 from snakebites—which kill up to 138,000 people and injure 400,000 each year—is taking shape. The snakebite envenoming roadmap, which will be launched in Geneva this May, centers on delivery of up to 3…
February 18, 2019
Treatment for the flesh-eating, bone-destroying disease mycetoma is long and expensive. Little is known its incidence and prevalence, and rapid diagnostic tests aren’t available for primary care clinics. For these reasons, 500 delegates gathered at a mycetoma conference…
February 6, 2019
Neglected tropical diseases affect almost 50% of Africa’s population. But how is the continent faring in the fight against the debilitating slate of diseases? A new “league table” tracking progress and setbacks is set to be presented at the African Union Summit in Ethiopia…
November 6, 2018
A new Nature Genetics study has revealed nearly a million genes in parasitic worms never before identified.
July 30, 2018
Neglected tropical diseases like waterborne Bilharzia, or Schistosomiasis, prey on Nigeria’s poor, rural communities—but the country’s ability to fight disease should not be underestimated, writes Mark Doyle.
July 26, 2018
Going by a health service coverage index, some countries are making clear strides toward universal health coverage. There’s just one problem: The index neglected to include services for neglected tropical diseases.
January 29, 2018
African Heads of State have added 5 top neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) to their annual disease progress report, raising the profile of diseases that put 1.5 billion people at risk globally—including over 620 million in Africa.The number of people at risk of NTDs has…
October 9, 2017
With evidence mounting on the importance of surgical capacity to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), lymphatic filariasis (LF) and trachoma are 2 prime examples. Together, these 2 NTDs with surgical comorbidities result in more than 2.3 million years lost from…
April 24, 2017
The Financial Times dove head first into reporting on neglected tropical diseases in a massive special report funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Together, the diseases afflict more than 1 billion people worldwide, many of them poor. Topics highlighted in…