Neglected Tropical Diseases
A group of chronic and debilitating conditions, caused by parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections, is defined as the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Most of the NTDs have little name-recognition in industrialized nations, but together they cause severe disability in the world's poorest countries, decreasing productivity by billions of dollars. They cause blindness (onchocerciasis and trachoma), disfigurement (lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, and Buruli ulcer), and are often life threatening at a later stage of the disease (African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, dengue fever, and schistosomiasis).
The Centre’s NTD research focuses on developing a better understanding through mathematical and statistical modelling of the epidemiology, dynamics and diagnostics of trachoma and schistosomiasis, with an aim to help to optimize the design of future NTD control programmes, and evaluate the impact of current strategies.
