How modelling can help steer the course set by the World Health Organization 2021-2030 roadmap on neglected tropical diseases
Clark J., Stolk WA., Basáñez M-G., Coffeng LE., Cucunubá ZM., Dixon MA., Dyson L., Hampson K., Marks M., Medley GF., Pollington TM., Prada JM., Rock KS., Salje H., Toor J., Hollingsworth TD.
The World Health Organization recently launched its 2021-2030 roadmap, Ending the Neglect to Attain the Sustainable Development Goals, an updated call to arms to end the suffering caused by neglected tropical diseases. Modelling and quantitative analyses played a significant role in forming these latest goals. In this collection, we discuss the insights, the resulting recommendations and identified challenges of public health modelling for 13 of the target diseases: Chagas disease, dengue, gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT), lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, rabies, scabies, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), Taenia solium taeniasis/ cysticercosis, trachoma, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and yaws. This piece reflects the three cross-cutting themes identified across the collection, regarding the contribution that modelling can make to timelines, programme design, drug development and clinical trials.