Leprosy and Elephantiasis: new cases could be prevented in ten years

International consortium of scientists conducting urgent research into rates of transmission. Leprosy, Elephantiasis and Sleeping Sickness among nine tropical diseases targeted Neglected tropical diseases affect over one billion people worldwid The NTD Modelling Consortium argues that whilst new transmissions of these diseases are falling, new interventions may be needed to prevent transmission by 2025 - The life chances of over one billion people could be improved through examining the transmission of nine neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), an international consortium of researchers has argued. In the first findings by the NTD Modelling Consortium into Leprosy, Elephantiasis (Lymphatic filariasis), Sleeping Sickness (Human African trypanosomiasis) and Visceral Leishmaniasis the researchers say that many urgent policy issues concerning the control and elimination of NTDs can only be answered through high-quality modelling. Commenting on the findings the NTD Modelling Consortium's principal investigator, Dr Deirdre Hollingsworth of the University of Warwick, said: "The life chances of over one billion people could be improved through targeted research into how these diseases are being transmitted, by high quality data analysis and modelling- the NTD Modelling Consortium has been established to meet these needs". The findings, published in four separate papers by researchers from the University of Warwick on each disease in Parasites and Vectors, address the challenges facing health authorities throughout Africa and India.