Twice Neglected? Neglected Diseases in Neglected Populations

Abstract

It is unfortunately true that clinicians lack the necessary evidence to know how to use medications properly in large sections of the population, and we do not have optimal drugs to use in many Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). NTD’s often disproportionately affect neglected populations such as children and pregnant women. As reliable access to safe, effective preventives and treatments can break the cycle of poverty, illness, and ensuing debility that further perpetuates poverty, it is of paramount importance to investigate and develop new medicines for neglected populations suffering from NTDs. Furthermore, there is not only a need to develop and evaluate novel therapies, but also to ensure that these are affordable, available, and adapted to the communities who need them. With this editorial, the British Pharmacological Society hereby launches a call for high-quality articles focusing on NTDs in special populations, to facilitate the reversal of this dual neglect.