Neglected Tropical Diseases in Italy: introducing IN-NTD, the Italian network for NTDs

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as a diverse group of primarily infectious diseases, which disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations worldwide. In this context, NTDs are responsible for important morbidity and mortality and justify a global response. Moreover, NTDs are relatively neglected by research and development as well as by funding, if compared with the magnitude of the public health problem they represent. This happens even though, unlike other infectious diseases, they can be prevented, controlled and eliminated by targeted public health interventions. NTDs are mainly prevalent in communities from low-income countries in tropical and sub-tropical areas but are also present in upper–middle-income countries, including several in Europe. Here, we provide an update on the most relevant parasitic endemic or imported NTDs in Italy and illustrate the rationale for the establishment of the Italian network on NTDs, an alliance of scientific societies, institutes, foundations, universities and non-profit organizations united to fight NTDs.

Parasitological transitions: selected outcomes from the XXXII Congress of the Italian Society for Parasitology

“…The manuscript by Casulli et al . ( 2023 ) provides a global prospective on WHO and NTDs and an up-to-date overview of the most relevant parasitic endemic or imported NTDs in Italy (including soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, cysticercosis, cystic echinococcosis, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis).…”

“…Based on these assumptions, the IN-NTD was established as an alliance of scientific societies (including SoIPa), institutes, foundations, universities and non-profit organizations united to fight NTDs at the national and international levels. The aim of the network is to coordinate the work of many in order to achieve the necessary synergy and authority to propose and organize useful actions to combat NTDs in Italy, as well as in the countries where NTDs are endemic through various tasks such as advocacy, training, research, international public health cooperation and sustainable development goals (Casulli et al ., 2023 ).…”