The COVID-19 pandemic will have a long-term impact on health systems. Particularly in countries with limited resources for healthcare, the COVID-19 response may put an additional strain on health systems, affecting also programs targeting neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

NTDs are largely left out of the COVID-19 responses at local, national, regional and international levels. Governments believe that public awareness for NTDs is lower than of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could quickly lead to political upheaval or instability in endemic countries for NTDs. The global health authorities across the world were reluctant to give clear and relevant guidance to NTD programs in connection with COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) even advised that NTD surveys, active case detection activities, and mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns should be postponed. This was detrimental as it jeopardized support for prompt diagnosis, treatment, and essential vector control.

Mathematical modelling clearly indicated the impact of NTDs control activities on morbidity reduction, which would however require that activities should be continued over a ten-year period without any interruption. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on ongoing NTD-related clinical trials and on operational research still needs to be elucidated. The successes achieved by NTD control programs over the past decade, aiming at reducing morbidity and in some cases striving for disease elimination, is compromised by this disruption.

We invite Original Articles and Reviews addressing challenges and opportunities related to the control of NTDs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of the COVID-19 measures on clinical trials and operational research related to NTDs.

The Call is open from 15 November 2021 until 1 November 2023. IJPH double-blind peer-review rules apply. Submissions must comply with IJPH rules for article type, length and format (please consult the information for authors and author guidelines). Please submit the full manuscript. Articles accepted after peer review will be published in the online special issue as they get ready for publication.

IJPH publishes all articles open access. Article processing charges (APC) apply. The GLOBEQUITY program of IJPH offers a limited number of waivers for first authors from low and middle income countries!

Contact: IJPH Editorial Office, ijph@swisstph.ch

We look forward to your submission!

Keywords: COVID-19, Neglected Tropical Disease, NTD's, Health System, Clinical Trial, Operational Research, Limited Resource Settings