Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse set of diseases that affect more than 1.6 billion people worldwide. They tend to affect people in the poorest communities. With relatively limited tools, much is already being achieved to reduce their impact. More research and development (R&D) work against these long-overlooked diseases could lead to advances that significantly reduce how frequently they occur, and improve the quality of life of people who would otherwise suffer from NTDs.
A ranked list of R&D priorities for NTDs would help health ministries, their partner organizations, researchers and research funders to direct available time and money to the topics of greatest urgency.
The R&D Blueprint for NTDs will have global scope across all diseases listed by the World Health Organization as NTDs. Those diseases are as follows:
All types of basic, clinical, social science and epidemiological research, including health product development and operational and implementation research, are eligible for inclusion in the Blueprint.
The Blueprint will be developed through a broad-based consensus-building process involving NTD-endemic countries, people affected by NTDs, researchers, healthcare workers, NTD programme personnel and individuals who staff funding organizations.
It will be published by the World Health Organization so that all stakeholders can refer to it and use it for decision-making. After it is published in 2025, regular re-assessment of the identified R&D priorities and their progress will be undertaken.
We are seeking the help of people who have insight into one or more of the NTDs listed above. That insight may be drawn from having been affected by an NTD; by managing patients affected by NTDs; through undertaking research; by guiding or delivering control, elimination or eradication programmes; or by considering applications for funding of work on NTDs.
People in these categories who are willing to help will be asked to propose (and possibly refine) research ideas related to NTDs, and then to score curated research questions. We will collect most of this information via online forms. Contributors will be asked to spend a few hours on these tasks at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. Contributors can choose to be recognized as a co-author on publications arising from the work.
For more information, or to volunteer as a contributor, please access the documents and links on this page.
Current timeline
Share Your Insights or Ask Us a Question
If you have relevant experience or expertise, we invite you to contribute to this process to build the Blueprint. Your input will be incredibly valuable in shaping our understanding of research and development priorities.
Please volunteer using the form here. Contributions will be used to encourage dialogue among stakeholders. Join us in driving meaningful change and improving the lives of those affected by NTDs. Your voice matters!
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