The BMJ: Innovation is vital for elimination of neglected diseases in South Asia
Suman Rijal, director at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Bernard Pécoul, executive director at DNDi, and Balram Bhargava, secretary at the Department of Health Research for the Government of India and director general at the Indian Council of Medical Research

“The Sustainable Development Goals set a target to end epidemics of neglected tropical diseases by the year 2030. … This special collection of The BMJ highlights notable successes of public health programs in neglected diseases in South Asia and identifies areas where research and supportive policy is needed to advance plans for control or elimination. A unifying theme of this collection is innovation in diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of neglected diseases to create solutions that are effective, relevant, locally feasible, and sustainable. … South Asia has a unique role in combating these diseases globally as well as regionally, given the high disease burden and regional expertise in end-to-end solutions … Such ‘bench to bedside’ leadership could grow rapidly with supportive policy for research and development in neglected diseases. … We call on the diverse communities in the readership of The BMJ to reflect on the issues brought forth in this collection and push for greater action on neglected diseases in their respective fields” (1/22).