International Business Times: How Three Scientists ‘Marketed’ Neglected Tropical Diseases And Raised More Than $1 Billion
“…[T]hese [17] maladies were largely ignored until three researchers came up with the surprisingly simple idea to ‘market’ them to politicians and private foundations collectively as ‘neglected tropical diseases.’ … This simple strategy — to create a strong brand that would allow advocates to pitch a myriad of forgotten diseases at once — has proven remarkably effective. All together, governments and aid organizations have pledged at least a billion dollars to neglected tropical diseases since 2006. … ‘Marketing is a big aspect of it,’ Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at Kaiser Family Foundation, says. ‘Had they not come up with this term, I don’t think we would be where we are in terms of funding and attention on this issue’…” (Nordum, 5/14).