Diseases of the Poor: the Socioeconomic Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Physical and mental suffering caused by disease are known to anyone, but disease also has economic consequences to individuals, households and societies that not everybody might be aware of. Depending on the disease and on the context of the affected individuals, these consequences might lead to economic hardship and even to impoverishment. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of communicable diseases associated with chronic, disabling and disfiguring morbidity, but also death, most of them affecting extremely poor populations. This thesis aimed at providing an improved understanding on the socioeconomic effect of NTDs on individuals and society, on the costs of a new diagnostic strategy to combat one of the NTDs, and on the impact of disease-related direct costs and productivity loss on the likelihood of impoverishment. This evidence can increase health policy dialogue and further encourage NTD prevention and control actions, assuring funders and policymakers that resources committed to these efforts are not only addressing poverty and the fundamental right to health, but are also a good investment.

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