American Society Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 's 2011 Annual Meeting.
Neglected infectious diseases affect population groups living in
poor socio-economic conditions, with low income and education levels,
poor housing, lack of access to basic services such as clean water and
sanitation, and in areas where armed conflict is present, environmental
conditions are deteriorated and there are access barriers to health
services. As they share similar social and environmental factors,
neglected infectious diseases frequently coexist in the same
geographical areas be they tropical or subtropical… "We have a great
opportunity to reach elimination [as a public health problem], reduce
suffering and physical and mental impairment." PAHO Director at the
ASTMH Annual Meeting.