An opportunity to contribute to a major initiative to alleviate poverty in the world's poorest populations.
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic disabling infections affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide, mainly in Africa and mostly those living in remote rural areas, urban slums or conflict zones. Beyond their negative impact on health, NTDs contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty and stigma that leaves people unable to work, go to school or participate in family and community life. Whilst "the big three" infections AIDS, TB and malaria have caught the world's attention, these other disabling and sometimes fatal infectious diseases in Africa have until very recently been receiving relatively little attention from donors, policymakers, and public health officials. Yet NTD control represents a largely untapped development opportunity to alleviate poverty in the world's poorest populations, and therefore has a direct impact on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.