Impact of COVID-19 on the neglected tropical diseases: a scoping review
Infectious Diseases of Poverty·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40249-024-01223-2
- PMID
- 39075616
- PMCID
- PMC11285209
- OpenAlex
- W4401075794
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The pandemic diverted attention and funding from NTD research and development, straining weak healthcare systems in LMICs and creating delays that will have long-reaching consequences. Without significant recovery investment, NTD roadmap targets and milestones are unlikely to be met, highlighting the need for global cooperation and renewed investment.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the prevalence, management, and control of neglected tropical diseases, including impacts on research funding and program execution, and whether these effects will delay Sustainable Development Goal elimination targets.
Study design
This was a scoping review using open-source policy documents and data from WHO, government foreign aid records, and Policy Cures G-Finder reports. Publications underwent practical screening to identify the most relevant literature on COVID-19's impact on NTDs, with additional evaluation of socio-economic factors.
Population and setting
The review focused on neglected tropical disease programs and affected populations in low- and middle-income countries.
Main findings
Research funding for NTDs declined after 2019, with diseases receiving minimal pre-pandemic investment (mycetoma, taeniasis/cysticercosis, trachoma, Buruli ulcer) particularly impacted. Mass drug administration programs for schistosomiasis were delayed, rabies vaccination programs were cancelled or postponed, and testing facility closures reduced diagnosis and treatment across all NTDs. Lockdowns and clinic closures disrupted surveillance and treatment, while manufacturing and distribution disruptions affected immunization programs. The pandemic increased poverty in marginalized communities, affecting nutrition, healthcare access, and education with long-term implications for NTD control.
Public-health relevance
The pandemic diverted attention and funding from NTD research and development, straining weak healthcare systems in LMICs and creating delays that will have long-reaching consequences. Without significant recovery investment, NTD roadmap targets and milestones are unlikely to be met, highlighting the need for global cooperation and renewed investment.
Important limitations
This summary relies on the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. Full assessment of methodology, data quality, and causal interpretation requires access to the complete published paper.
GIDS interpretation
This scoping review was identified through classifier links connecting it to COVID-19, multiple neglected tropical diseases, and health policy topics. It provides context on pandemic-related disruptions to disease control programs rather than reporting new outbreak or surveillance data.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 13 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.