Neglected Tropical Diseases: an Overview According to a recent report by the World Health Organisatio n, more than one billion people are afflicted with one or more neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in 149 countries. This represents about one-eighth of the world's population. Moreover, over 35,000 deaths can be attributed to NTDs on a daily basis . This translates to about 24 deaths/minute. In other words, 24 people die of an NTD every minute. Before we go further, let's take a look into what NTDs are all about. As the WHO puts it "NTDs are a diverse group of conditions mainly prevalent in tropical areas and impoverished communities that cause substantial illness". They are caused b y 4 classes of pathogens including viruses, parasites, protozoa, and helminths. So far, about 20 NTDs have been identified and they are, Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue and chikungunya, dracunculiasis (Guinea ...