Neglected and Tropical Diseases: Myths, Misunderstandings and Facts

The constant threat of infectious diseases, especially neglected and tropical diseases, highlights the need for investment in scientific research to discover drugs that can combat them. Neglected and Tropical Diseases: Myths, Misunderstandings, and Facts provides an interdisciplinary, critical, and up-to-date approach to these diseases, which, despite affecting millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions, remain chronically neglected by public policies, health funding, and global scientific attention. Organized by experts in the field of infectious and parasitic diseases, the book features chapters dedicated to leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, fasciolosis, and leprosy. Each chapter debunks historical and popular misconceptions, contextualizes scientific advances, and exposes the challenges still faced in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of these diseases, in addition to providing an enlightening perspective for researchers in the fields of medicinal chemistry and drug design. By bringing together current references, critical reflections as well as clinical, epidemiological, and social implications, this work stands out as an essential resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, public health professionals, policymakers, and all those interested in understanding the actual dimensions of tropical and neglected diseases. More than a technical compendium, this book is an invitation to ethical reflection and a commitment to equity in global health.