Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), sometimes also referred to as Neglected Infectious Diseases, are a group defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 20 diseases and disease groups caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan and parasitic infections, and envenoming. These varied conditions, which cause suffering and death, have been grouped together due to their tendency to affect groups and individuals living in conditions of poverty, their association with stigmatisation and exclusion, and their consequent historical neglect within public health systems.
To understand NTDs, therefore, it is vital to move beyond mere biological explanations. Eradicating NTDs means tackling global structural inequalities in access to healthcare and life opportunities. To this end, we need to understand the lived experiences of those suffering with NTDs, the daily challenges they face and the social, economic and political contexts in which interventions operate.
Affecting over a billion people across 149 countries, NTDs represent a significant public health burden and undermine the achievement of the sustainable development agenda by exacerbating poverty and inequality.