TY - JOUR T1 - Neglected tropical diseases and the sustainable development goals: an urgent call for action from the front line JF - BMJ Global Health DO - 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001334 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - e001334 AU - Ayenew Addisu AU - Wim Adriaensen AU - Arega Balew AU - Mekuria Asfaw AU - Ermias Diro AU - Amadou Garba Djirmay AU - Desalegn Gebree AU - Getahun Seid AU - Hailemariam Begashaw AU - Anthony D Harries AU - Abera Hirpa Adugna AU - Zeleke Ayalew Jejaw AU - Edward Mberu Kamau AU - Tigist Kelbo AU - Marcel Manzi AU - Dana Medebo Daniel AU - Ashok Moloo AU - Piero Olliaro AU - Philip Owiti AU - John C Reeder AU - Mbazi Senkoro AU - Kuda Takarinda AU - Robert Terry AU - Collins Timire AU - Samson Tucho AU - Hannock Tweya AU - Yeshanehe Wendemagegn AU - Kristien Verdonck AU - Florian Vogt AU - Saskia van Henten AU - Johan van Griensven AU - Bekele Worku AU - Maria Zolfo AU - Rony Zachariah A2 - , Y1 - 2019/02/01 UR - http://gh.bmj.com/content/4/1/e001334.abstract N2 - Summary boxThe international community has pledged through the Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate neglected tropical diseases by 2030.Authors from 19 institutions around the world call for urgent reflection and a change in mind-set to garner support and hasten progress towards achieving this fast approaching target.They advocate for an empowering approach that will propel political momentum, milestones and targets for accountability, new science in drug development and increased funding particularly from G20 countries. “We must become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook.” Emperor Haile SelassieIt was in the city of Gondar in Ethiopia, one of the highest burden countries for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)1 and currently home to 16 to 20 recognised NTDs (table 1), that a unanimous desire was expressed by scientists, policy makers and health workers from around the world (the forum was an operational research training on NTDs organised by the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT). SORT IT is a global partnership coordinated by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) hosted at the WHO. http://www.who.int/tdr/capacity/strengthening/sort/en), for urgent reflection on how to garner support and hasten the pace towards achieving the fast approaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of eliminating NTDs by 2030.2 Concerns, raised by the group are articulated below:View this table:In this windowIn a new windowTable 1 The 20 neglected tropical diseases recognised by the WHO*First, there is the term ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’, coined by Peter Hotez and colleagues in 2003 with the noble intention of propelling political momentum, catalysing donor funding and making quantum shifts in research and development (R&D).3 The question today is whether designating a specific group of diseases as being ‘neglected’ does not carry with it a negative and disempowering connotation. Populations affected by NTDs already face neglect by being … ER -