Neglected infectious diseases in the Americas: Success stories and innovation to reach the neediest

Abstract

Neglected infectious diseases (NID), which include Chagas disease, fascioliasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, leprosy, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, plague, human rabies transmitted by dogs, schistosomiasis, congenital syphilis, neonatal tetanus and trachoma, affect the poorest of the poor. These diseases impose a nearly indescribable set of burdens on communities and individuals, not only because of the pain and suffering they cause, but also because of the loss of income and the chronic stigma and discrimination associated with their sequelaes, irreversible in many cases. These can include blindness, chronic anemia, tissue loss and physical disfigurement, and permanent disability leading affected families to an even more challenging and limited quality of life-style...