The road to elimination: an overview of neglected infectious diseases in latin america and the caribbean

Abstract

Neglected infectious diseases (NID) affect mainly isolated populations living in isolation and in poor socioeconomic conditions. These diseases, by their chronic and silent nature, often affect communities with a weak political voice. This translates into very little attention or political priority; which is reflected in minimal and insufficient preventive measures, monitoring and control. However, there is evidence this situation is changing favorably in some countries of the Americas. In recent years, several resolutions (official agreement of the member countries of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization-PAHO / WHO), regional and global agreements on public health; with a greater commitment from the pharmaceutical industry, and other donors and international partners in combination with the development and use of integrated action plans have allowed countries to intensify public interventions to control these diseases and thus achieve target elimination of NID. Onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, leprosy and trachoma blindness, among others, have been eliminated in several countries and endemic areas, regardless of the level of development of the country or geographical area where they are located. The political decision reflected in adequate financial resources in the next decade will be crucial to achieving the goals of elimination of NID (regional and national).