Global Health Impact: A Model to Alleviate the Burden and Expand Access to Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) receive relatively little research and development but have a tremen-dous impact on lifespan and livelihood. Here, we use existing data on the need for drugs, their efficacy, and their treat-ment percentages to estimate the impacts of various regimens on the global burden of several NTDs: schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and three soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) over time. For an interactive visualization of our models' results, see https://www.global-health-impact.org/. In 2015, our NTD models estimate that treatment averted 2,778,131.78 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Together, treatments targeting STHs together averted 51.05% of the DALYs averted from all NTD treatments, whereas schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis medicines averted 40.21%, 7.56%, and 1.18%, respectively. Our models highlight the importance of focusing not just on the burden of these diseases but also on their alleviation in the effort to expand access to treatment.