A New Way to Fight Disease and Boost Agriculture in Poor Countries
Every year, a set of illnesses that the United Nations and the World Health Organization have termed “neglected tropical diseases” affect more than a billion people and kill around half a million of them—most of whom subsist on less than $2 a day. Those who survive are often disabled or disfigured for life. Take schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water in the tropics. Every year, an estimated 200 million people are infected. The disease kills about 200,000 people each year; many more are left with damaged organs. But unlike malaria—which, because its mortality rate is so high, has been the focus of an enormous amount of private investment, foreign aid, and philanthropic giving—schistosomiasis has never been a global health priority.… Seguir leyendo »