Neglected tropical diseases: moving beyond mass drug treatment to understanding the science.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a major health burden in many developing countries. To date, global efforts to control thirteen parasitic and bacterial infections that affect more than 1.4 billion people have relied on mass drug administration. This singular approach should now be expanded to a more comprehensive suite of tools including coordinated community-based programs, vector control, local training, education, and environmental change. In addition, an intensive basic research agenda is urgently needed to develop effective diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic interventions to stay one step ahead of the evolutionary adaptation tactics of disease-causing microbes and parasites.