3. The Global Impact of Infectious Diseases
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria cause millions of deaths each year in developing nations around the world. Other “neglected” tropical diseases (NTDs) that you may have never even heard of affect 1 billion people and leave many millions disfigured and disabled. These are infectious diseases such as Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, which are found mainly in low-income tropical and subtropical regions.
New treatments are desperately needed for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria because drug resistance is rapidly reducing the efficacy of existing drugs. Furthermore, there are no vaccines to prevent NTDs, and effective treatments are lacking for African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and many other NTDs.
This section includes the following documents to help explain the toll these devastating diseases are having on the world.
In Brief: The Global Impact of Infectious Diseases
A quick review of the global burden of infectious diseases
Investing in Global Health Research: HIV/AIDS
The global and U.S. burden of HIV/AIDS
Investing in Global Health Research: Tuberculosis
The global burden of tuberculosis and its threat to the U.S.
Investing in Global Health Research: Malaria
The global burden of malaria and how malaria affects the U.S.
Investing in Global Health Research: Neglected Tropical Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases and their global burden
Global Health Medical Technologies: Status Critical
Summary of treatments currently available for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases
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