Clinical Review of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) impact over one billion people globally and kill over half a million individuals every year. They are more common in disadvantaged and marginalized people, especially in rural places with minimal healthcare services. These illnesses are usually chronic and debilitating, and they are commonly linked to social stigma and isolation. Indeed, they are to blame for synergistic epidemics that worsen the social and health situations of those impacted, extending infection and poverty cycles and limiting the development chances of entire communities.

NTDs are found all across the world, despite their high prevalence in tropical and subtropical areas. Human migration, international travel, animal movements, worldwide food marketing, and climate change are all variables that contribute to the spread of infections and the enhanced competence of insects as vectors and mammals and birds as hosts.

To overcome these hurdles and meet the WHO's existing 2030 targets, research and innovation are required. Operational and implementation research, evaluation of new diagnostics, prevention and therapeutic measures, and behavioral and social elements of endemic areas should all be part of the study agenda. In nations where NTDs are endemic, new enabling technologies such as molecular epidemiology, spatial epidemiology, mathematical modeling, data science, artificial intelligence, or digital health should be included and adapted.

The goal of our special issue is to give readers a closer look at the epidemiology, risk factors, typical and atypical clinical presentations, diagnosis, treatment, and vector control strategies of neglected tropical diseases.