Recent advances in combating neglected tropical diseases

Somia Iqtadar, MBBS, is an associate professor of medicine at King Edward Medical University, Pakistan, and chairperson of the Dengue Expert Advisory Group.

What are the most important recent advances in combating neglected tropical diseases?

Neglected tropical diseases, as the name says, are neglected, but I am very glad that now the world is focusing on them and a lot of research funding has been given to these important issues, because these are the diseases that are usually seen in poverty-struck countries and the countries that are not doing economically well. It is very important to focus on these diseases, which are causing a lot of havoc all around the globe, and particularly in the lower- and middle-income countries.

One of them is dengue, as we’ve already talked about it. There has been a major breakthrough in the form of vaccination, which is available [see Dengue vaccination].

Another thing that is important in the prevention of these mosquito-borne diseases, in particular like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika [virus disease], is the control of the vector, which is the mosquito. The prime focus of research are Wolbachia, naturally occurring organisms, which are injected into these mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are then released into the environment, and the later generations of the mosquitoes are not capable of transmitting the viruses. So this is a major successful research project, which has been implemented in many countries.

Similarly, for malaria there has been a vaccine now approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is being administered in the countries that have a high malaria [prevalence].

Talking about other neglected tropical diseases like Chagas disease/trypanosomiasis, a lot of research and clinical trials are being done. I think in the near future we will be able to eliminate a few of these neglected tropical diseases from these countries.