We are building a strong evidence base that neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are now widespread among the poorest people living in the United States. NTDs are unique poverty-related infections that cause long-term and debilitating effects. While they don’t command the… Continue Reading
Educating children about neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) through interactive role-play activities is an effective way to raise awareness about NTDs, encourage early detection and treatment for these diseases, and decrease transmission. NTDs are a group of diseases that severely affect the world’s “bottom billion.” Approximately one billion people are currently infected with one or more NTDs, while another billion are at direct risk of becoming infected.
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I was telling a friend about the Africans affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and how these diseases perpetuate poverty. She was convinced of their global importance. But apparently, my speech did not stir her until I told her the scabies she just recovered from was one of the NTDs. This is a clear example showing that the collective term “NTDs” might be confusing. The term might seem even more removed from Americans who do not live in the poorest neighborhoods and have never contracted any of the NTDs; such people are mostly unaware of the pain and suffering caused by NTDs, despite their far-reaching socioeconomic significance for the affected population and America as a whole.
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With the spread of globalization and the Internet, an awareness campaign has the potential to reach millions of people and educate them about neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). I propose the creation of a new campaign, called Tropical Diseases Campaign, to reach people through social media and events. Continue Reading
The U.S. government recently announced the largest global public health campaign to date in hopes that this unprecedented effort will help to control and end an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola. Since the outbreak was recognized in March of this year,… Continue Reading
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health. U.S. lawmakers have had many chances to enact legislation that would address this situation. However, they often fail to pass such acts and our society keeps inching closer to an imminent public health disaster. Although antibiotics have saved countless lives since the 1940s, things are starting to change at an alarming rate. Chances are you have probably heard about one “superbug” or another in the news. These so-called superbugs are strains of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotic treatment. If we are not careful, we could be cast back in time to a world where there are no effective treatments for life-threatening bacterial infections. Continue Reading