Linking Global HIV/AIDS Treatments with National Programs for the Control and Elimination of the Neglected Tropical Diseases

Infections and inequalities: anemia in AIDS, the disadvantages of poverty

“…Other aspects should be taken into account, too: 1) the biological plausibility of the observed association is a meaningful relationship; 2) regarding the biological gradient of the observed association, there is a relationship between the extremes (> poverty and < educational level = > risk of anemia); and 3) the consistency of our research findings with which is known about the natural history of the disease. In fact, poverty produces not only direct effects but also non financial costs, such as hunger, undernourishment and malnutrition, which contribute to arise feelings of deprivation and frustration, apart from pain, suffering and reduced life quality [4] .…”

“…The criteria used to direct the programs toward certain beneficiaries are not perfect and, as a consequence, the provision of helping those who are more exposed and vulnerable, as the poorest sectors of society are, may be difficult [18] . In many cases, it is possible to increase cost-effectiveness of official AIDS prevention programs through the joint efforts of NGO and severely affected people in the designing and execution of these programs [2] .…”

“…The world has been living with the HIV/AIDS epidemic for some thirty years, and prevention methods have been scientifically proven and disseminated to the public for nearly as long [1][2][3] . Yet, there are, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, at least 7 000 new HIV infections every day -an alarming number that indicates HIV/AIDS awareness is at an unacceptable level of neglect by governments, civil society, and the private sector [20] .…”

“…About 90% of new infections occur in developing countries, where in some cases the disease has already reduced life expectancy by over 10 years. HIV has become generalized in many nations, and in other poor regions in the world, the disease could be about to spread without control [2] . While the causality between poverty and HIV is not clear, it is certain that HIV pushes households and individuals into poverty.…”

Translational research in neglected tropical diseases: looking beyond the boundaries!

“…Some workers have estimated that the collective global burden due to 13 of the most important neglected tropical diseases exceeds that of malaria and TB and is almost equal to the burden of HIV/AIDS. 6,7 In India, neglected tropical diseases along with the "big three" (malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB) constitute a major public health problem. 8 The solution to such a grave problem cannot and will not lie in the domain of medicine alone.…”