Although advances in the control and elimination of neglected infections have been steadily increasing in the past decade—specifically with heightened interest by policy makers, governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), and private philanthropies—more can and must be done, says a new editorial, "'Manifesto' for Advancing the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases," published May 25 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases .
In the eight-point "manifesto" for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), co-authors Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Distinguished Research Professor of The George Washington University Medical Center, and Bernard Pecoul, Executive Director of Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), outline reasons why the global community should increase financial support for NTD control and elimination efforts and research and development.
Specifically, the manifesto states that:
According to the authors, tackling the issue of NTDs will have an impact on other global health crises and be an agent to achieving various Millennium Development Goals.
"[NTD control] activities have facilitated the delivery of additional interventions such as insecticide-treated bed nets, antimalarial drugs, micronutrients, and childhood immunizations," Hotez and Pecoul say.
The authors conclude by urging scientists working on NTDs to collaborate more and identify funding opportunities and cost-efficient interventions.
"By highlighting important challenges in the fight against NTDs, this 'manifesto' calls on the global community for urgent, renewed, and innovative efforts."
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors received no specific funding for this study.
COMPETING INTERESTS: Peter J. Hotez is an inventor on international patents for hookworm and schistosomiasis vaccines.
PLEASE ADD THIS LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000718 (link will go live upon embargo lift)
CITATION: Hotez PJ, Pecoul B (2010) ''Manifesto'' for Advancing the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 4(5): e718. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000718
CONTACT:
Anjana Padmanabhan
The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases
Phone: 202-621-1688
Email: Anjana.padmananbhan@sabin.org
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