Abstract
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic infections that are often considered together because they primarily affect one billion of the world's poorest people and attract little attention from the global medical community [1]. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) call for increased funding for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and “other diseases” (including the NTDs), but this call has yet to yield significant support for NTD control [2]. Universities are uniquely positioned to provide biomedical and clinical expertise, and they boast core missions that seek to promote the public welfare. The university motto of the Rockefeller University, for instance, is: “pro bono humani generis,” or “science for the benefit of humanity” (http://www.rockefeller.edu/). In this article, we propose that innovative student-led campaigns to address NTDs can and do make a practical difference. We discuss these efforts at our universities.
Highlights
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic infections that are often considered together because they primarily affect one billion of the world’s poorest people and attract little attention from the global medical community [1]
We propose that innovative student-led campaigns to address NTDs can and do make a practical difference
After the forum, students created opportunities with local collaborators for experiences in sub-Saharan Africa. One such partnership was with the Millennium Cities Initiative and the Earth Institute of Columbia
Summary
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic infections that are often considered together because they primarily affect one billion of the world’s poorest people and attract little attention from the global medical community [1]. A distinguished panel of speakers provided updates and commentaries on their work, including Peter Hotez of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control (http:⁄⁄gnntdc.sabin.org/) and Editorin-Chief of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (http:⁄⁄www.plosntds.org/), Nobel laureate and Public Library of Science co-founder Harold Varmus, Ellis Rubinstein, the President of the New York Academy of Sciences, Joanna Rubinstein, Chief of Staff at the Earth Institute, and global health pioneers Carl Nathan and Warren Johnson. Students and members of the Tri-I community support Harold Varmus’ suggestion to implement one-year exchange fellowships between the United States and foreign scientists Such “twinning” with international research partners provides unique exposure to different systems of science for American and overseas students
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