BMJ 2002;325:176-177 ( 27 July )

Editorials

The world's most neglected diseases

Ignored by the pharmaceutical industry and by public-private partnerships

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Infectious diseases can be considered "neglected" when there is a lack of effective, affordable, or easy to use drug treatments. As most patients with such diseases live in developing countries and are too poor to pay for drugs, the pharmaceutical industry has traditionally ignored these diseases. Over the past decade, however, the public sector, by creating favourable marketing conditions, has persuaded industry to enter into public-private partnerships to tackle neglected diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. Yet some infectious diseases---the world's "most neglected" diseases---are still being ignored not just by the pharmaceutical industry but also by public-private partnerships.

Why have these partnerships ignored the most neglected diseases, such as kala-azar, Chagas' disease, and sleeping sickness? This question was explored at a recent meeting in New York, organised by Médecins sans Frontières.1 The answer lies in the social contract that exists between the public and private sectors.

The . . . [Full text of this article]
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Neglected tropical diseases
Gavin Yamey and Peter Hotez
BMJ 2007 335: 269-270. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Adhikari, S. R, Maskay, N. M, Sharma, B. P (2009). Paying for hospital-based care of Kala-azar in Nepal: assessing catastrophic, impoverishment and economic consequences. Health Policy Plan 24: 129-139 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Kjellstrom, T., Mercado, S. (2008). Towards action on social determinants for health equity in urban settings. Environment and Urbanization 20: 551-574 [Abstract]  
  • Yamey, G., Hotez, P. (2007). Neglected tropical diseases. BMJ 335: 269-270 [Full text]  
  • MURRAY, H. W. (2004). TREATMENT OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN 2004. Am J Trop Med Hyg 71: 787-794 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • AHLUWALIA, I. B., BERN, C., COSTA, C., AKTER, T., CHOWDHURY, R., ALI, M., ALAM, D., KENAH, E., AMANN, J., ISLAM, M., WAGATSUMA, Y., HAQUE, R., BREIMAN, R. F., MAGUIRE, J. H. (2003). VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS: CONSEQUENCES OF A NEGLECTED DISEASE IN A BANGLADESHI COMMUNITY. Am J Trop Med Hyg 69: 624-628 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Ferriman, A. (2002). Where there is despair, hope. BMJ 325: 1194-1194 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Other Diseases join the List
John A Hayman
bmj.com, 27 Jul 2002 [Full text]
Facts and Figures on Sleeping Sickness
Robert G. Geursen
bmj.com, 12 Aug 2002 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ