Predicted Impact of COVID-19 on Neglected Tropical Disease Programs and the Opportunity for Innovation

Toor, Jaspreet and Adams, Emily R. and Aliee, Maryam and Amoah, Benjamin and Anderson, Roy M. and Ayabina, Diepreye and Bailey, Robin and Basáñez, Maria Gloria and Blok, David J. and Blumberg, Seth and Borlase, Anna and Rivera, Rocio Caja and Castaño, María Soledad and Chitnis, Nakul and Coffeng, Luc E. and Crump, Ronald E. and Das, Aatreyee and Davis, Christopher N. and Davis, Emma L. and Deiner, Michael S. and Diggle, Peter J. and Fronterre, Claudio and Giardina, Federica and Giorgi, Emanuele and Graham, Matthew and Hamley, Jonathan I.D. and Huang, Ching I. and Kura, Klodeta and Lietman, Thomas M. and Lucas, Tim C.D. and Malizia, Veronica and Medley, Graham F. and Meeyai, Aronrag and Michael, Edwin and Porco, Travis C. and Prada, Joaquin M. and Rock, Kat S. and Le Rutte, Epke A. and Smith, Morgan E. and Spencer, Simon E.F. and Stolk, Wilma A. and Touloupou, Panayiota and Vasconcelos, Andreia and Vegvari, Carolin and de Vlas, Sake J. and Walker, Martin and Hollingsworth, T. Déirdre (2021) Predicted Impact of COVID-19 on Neglected Tropical Disease Programs and the Opportunity for Innovation. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 72 (8). pp. 1463-1466. ISSN 1058-4838

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many key neglected tropical disease (NTD) activities have been postponed. This hindrance comes at a time when the NTDs are progressing towards their ambitious goals for 2030. Mathematical modelling on several NTDs, namely gambiense sleeping sickness, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), trachoma, and visceral leishmaniasis, shows that the impact of this disruption will vary across the diseases. Programs face a risk of resurgence, which will be fastest in high-transmission areas. Furthermore, of the mass drug administration diseases, schistosomiasis, STH, and trachoma are likely to encounter faster resurgence. The case-finding diseases (gambiense sleeping sickness and visceral leishmaniasis) are likely to have fewer cases being detected but may face an increasing underlying rate of new infections. However, once programs are able to resume, there are ways to mitigate the impact and accelerate progress towards the 2030 goals.