Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases II

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Neglected tropical diseases cause great human suffering in the countries of Central Africa. The effects of the 20 neglected tropical diseases defined by the World Health Organization range from reduced performance to lifelong disabilities and even death. This entails high economic costs. Due to the widespread poverty among those affected, comparatively little attention is paid to research and development of new therapies. Central African scientists who deal with these issues and could support their home countries in their efforts are often not sufficiently networked with the international and African research community. Treatment options do exist, but are not used across the board due to a lack of financial resources or a lack of knowledge about the emergence of the diseases. The project is providing subsidiary support to the health ministries of the countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC) with EUR 10.1 in the first phase and EUR 5.0 in the second phase. At the same time, young local scientists who are working on these issues are supported and networked with other researchers in Africa and around the world.