Danilo Freire

Scientists call for global neglected disease database

Creating a new, open-access database is always a good idea. A few days ago, SciDev.Net published an article about an interesting project:

A global database for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) ”is feasible and should be expanded without delay”, the developers of a first ‘proof of concept’ for such a tool have said.

While efforts to eliminate NTDs have improved over the years, a georeferenced, global, open-access database is essential to boost the work, they said in a paper published last month (13 December) in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

“There is a paucity of empirical estimates regarding the distribution of infection risk and burden of NTDs at the national, district or subdistrict level in most parts of the developing world,” they wrote.

Such information is essential for planning and implementing cost-effective, sustainable control interventions in areas where there is limited knowledge of disease distribution.

You can read the full paper here, and access the database here (login required).