Chapters authored
Neglected Tropical Diseases Pathogen and Human Genetic Interaction in the Genomic Era: Opportunities for (Sub-Saharan) African Scientists to Get on Board
The worldwide prevalence of the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) shows the diseases are affecting more than 1 billion. The burden of the Neglected tropical diseases cost to developing, the burden of the diseases cost to developing economies billions of dollars every year. The genomic research in the last decades providing a full sequence (some currently in the sequencing pipeline) of genomes of many of the organisms including those which are responsible of neglected tropical diseases, may help in the management of such diseases. With the human genome being sequenced, the understanding of the genomic interaction between human and NTD pathogen enable scientists to develop new strategies to prevent and treat these devastating diseases. In this context of genomic era, African scientists may interestingly play an insider role in order to be part of the history of the elimination of these diseases. However, a critical mass of African scientists in genomic area constitutes the first step toward this long way in struggle against NTD. Although the challenge is enormous, it is very important to recognize that some African countries and institutions are fully committed to develop and strengthen African leadership in genomic area, while some are conspicuously absent from this debate. Joining African competences and leadership through collaborative activities and moving forward remains the next challenge to really impact the control and elimination of the NTD.
Part of the book: Current Topics in Neglected Tropical Diseases