Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine

Strategies against Neglected Tropical Viral Disease

Many tropical diseases have been historically neglected because of lower prevalence, social stigma and lack of profitability. These neglected tropical diseases are endemic to poor developing countries and often promote poverty through long-lasting impacts on quality of life. Dengue and Chikungunya are categorized by the WHO as neglected tropical virus diseases. Like these, other arboviral diseases including ZIKA and Japanese encephalitis also affect developing countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The poor are most affected by these arboviral diseases through long-lasting sequelae with huge impact on their socio-economic status. None of these viral diseases have been prioritized in global health programs. Accordingly, adequate effective therapeutic strategies are not available for their management. Thus, despite the debate about classification, all these viral diseases can be considered neglected tropical diseases, in order to attract attention for research and development to devise effective therapeutic strategies.