Editorial: Re-emergence of neglected tropical diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic: epidemiology, transmission, mitigation strategies, and recent advances in chemotherapy and vaccines
Ranjan K. Mohapatra, Venkataramana Kandi, Véronique Seidel, Ali A. Rabaan
Abstract
During the 73 rd World health assembly, the WHO proposed a road map for the elimination of NTDs by 2030. This mainly aims to control, prevent, and/or eliminate the WHO-listed NTDs [1]. Given the emergence, and re-emergence, of novel and existing microbes, respectively, it is obvious that the list of NTDs proposed by the WHO is not exhaustive. Indeed, many other diseases may fall into the WHO criteria for NTDs (Figure 2), including diseases affecting people living in poverty, and those residing in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world.In view of the rising incidence of NTDs and their influence on the social, economic, physiological, and psychological well-being of people, the WHO decided for January 30, 2022 to be designated as the first World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (WNTDD) [ Legionella pneumophila is a bacterium that commonly lives in the environment. COVID-19 patients who suffered from debilitating post-disease this opportunistic microbe was found to cause lung infections, especially in hospital settings leading to nosocomial infections that further deteriorated the patients' quality of life.The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic not only contributed to the worsening of people's health, it also affected health-related services that were in place for the management of existing diseases like tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis), malaria, dengue, measles, and diseases caused by the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among others.Additionally, preventive measures like mass drug administration against filariasis and other parasitic infections were severely affected during the pandemic.