Editorial: Discovery and Development of Drugs for Neglected Diseases: Chagas Disease, Human African Trypanosomiasis, and Leishmaniasis

Open Access

Abstract

Twenty tropical diseases have been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). These tropical diseases are called "neglected" for three primary reasons: 1) These diseases are widespread worldwide among the economically weaker (neglected?) section of the society; 2) Although the total number of mortality, morbidity, disability, and health disparity caused annually by the NTDs is more than that attributed by the so-called elite diseases like cancer, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), cardio- or neurological diseases but NTD patients do not receive comparable attention or treatment opportunities either from the governments or healthcare professionals or non-governmental organizations (NGOs); 3) The scope of drug development research in this field is minimal due to insufficient (negligible) funding, and pharma giants are not interested in developing effective drugs for NTDs on time, due to insignificant profit. It is highly challenging to develop new and novel drugs to combat these tropical diseases to upthrust the lifespan and lifestyle of the socioeconomically deprived people affected by NTDs (Figure 1). The major goal of this research topic is to shed light on the global scenario (current status of the ailments, treatment options, and recent drug development efforts) of three major NTDs, viz. Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis), Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), and Leishmaniasis. This research topic contains three reviews and seven research articles.