Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever—caused by infected Borrelia bacteria transmitted via tick bites—seems rare. But is this due to low prevalence or because improper diagnoses have failed to capture its spread?
April 18, 2019
Left untreated, leprosy begins with discolored numb patches on the skin and eventually leaves people permanently disabled. Globally, the scourge of leprosy has largely subsided, but India still picks up over 100,000 new cases every year. Eliminating the disease means much…
April 9, 2019
Female genital schistosomiasisis is a neglected—but not uncommon—disease. The painful parasitic condition affects up to 10 million women and girls in Africa. It’s also a cofactor for HIV/AIDS—responsible for up to a 3-4-fold increase in horizontal HIV transmission,…
March 27, 2019
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…
March 1, 2019
Nodding syndrome has devastated thousands of lives across some of East Africa’s most vulnerable and isolated communities.
February 26, 2019
Farming is the major source of income for young adults residing in sub-Saharan Africa. But for those living in the mycetoma belt, it’s also a curse—one that will continue to destroy lives until affected countries step up and prioritize mycetoma surveillance, management and…
February 14, 2019
China’s success fighting NTDs may see some setbacks. A study identifies 9 NTDs in danger of reemergence because of the “Belt and Road Initiative,” launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to boost economic relations across Asia and Africa. Malaria, leishmaniasis, and…
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…
January 24, 2019
Funding for neglected diseases that afflict some 1 billion people reached a record high in 2017, commanding $3.6 billion. That’s a 7% jump from 2017 and the most since 2007, according to a new report from Sydney-based think tank Policy Cures Research.
January 23, 2019
The BMJ’s roundup of neglected disease innovations in South Asia shows successes towards the SDG of ending these epidemics by 2030. It also surfaces significant gaps in prevention and treatment, writes Suman Rijal of Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative of India in an…