Blogpost-Ersilia-NTDs_Lowe_Yvana

 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 worm disease), echinococcosis, foodborne trematodiases,