Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on current efforts to develop vaccines against Neglected Tropical Diseases.  The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion people globally are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The core group of 13 major neglected tropical diseases includes parasitic worm infections (roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm infection), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), schistosomiasis (snail fever), onchocerchiasis (river blindness), dracunculiasis (guinea worm infection); protozoal infections including Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness); and bacterial infections including trachoma, Buruli ulcer, and leprosy. A commonality of these NTDs is that they are chronic conditions resulting in poor growth, disfigurement, and poor general health with low mortality rates. These NTDs are highly prevalent in impoverished areas of Asia, India, Subsaharan Africa, and Central and South America with several diseases occurring concurrently in the same geographical location. Since the initiation of the Millennium Development goals, significant progress has been made toward eliminating or reducing several of these diseases, including dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis,  and roundworm infection through community education programs, vector control programs, and improving detection and treatment, including Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaigns. Despite these gains, little progress has been made toward controlling or eliminating other NTDs, including trichuriasis, hookworm, and Chagas disease. To move towards better control of these diseases, there is an urgent need for low cost effective treatments to complement community education, vector control and improved sanitation practices. Vaccines are an attractive, low cost option for widespread sustained control. Global research efforts have advanced the understanding of immune control of these diseases and identified several new promising candidates that may soon be available to complement current treatment strategies, effecting significant gains in global health.

Prof. Dr. Kathryn M. Jones
Guest Editor

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• vaccine development
• immune response
• animal Model
• antigen
• adjuvant
• parasite