Summarized by Franciscka Lucien
In an editorial in the August edition of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute Dr. Peter Hotez calls for emerging market economies to join the US, UK, and Japan as partners in neglected tropical disease (NTD) control efforts. Entitled “Neglected Tropical Disease Control in the ‘Post-American World,’” Dr. Hotez states that the US and UK have already started commitments of up to US$100 million annually for NTD control — with plans to possibly double this amount by 2011 — while Japan has provided additional funding for global parasite control. Still, successful control of NTDs requires new financial support to complement current control and elimination efforts by the US, UK, and Japan. Emerging market economies must now join in the control efforts and share this commitment.
NTDs disable and debilitate 1.4 billion people worldwide living on $1.25 a day who are often the poorest of the poor. These parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections are devastating. NTDs disproportionately impact the emerging world and exacerbate poverty by impairing child development, maternal health, and productivity.