title: [The road to elimination: an overview of neglected infectious diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean].
abstract: Neglected infectious diseases (NID) affect mainly isolated populations living in isolation and in poor socioeconomic conditions. These diseases, by their chronic and silent nature, often affect communities with a weak political voice. This translates into very little attention or political priority; which is reflected in minimal and insufficient preventive measures, monitoring and control. However, there is evidence this situation is changing favorably in some countries of the Americas. In recent years, several resolutions (official agreement of the member countries of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization-PAHO / WHO), regional and global agreements on public health; with a greater commitment from the pharmaceutical industry, and other donors and international partners in combination with the development and use of integrated action plans have allowed countries to intensify public interventions to control these diseases and thus achieve target elimination of NID. Onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, leprosy and trachoma blindness, among others, have been eliminated in several countries and endemic areas, regardless of the level of development of the country or geographical area where they are located. The political decision reflected in adequate financial resources in the next decade will be crucial to achieving the goals of elimination of NID (regional and national).
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Desatendidas, Tropicales y Transmitidas por Vectores, Departamento de Enfermedades Transmisibles y Análisis de Salud, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Washington DC, EE. UU.
authors.forename: Steven Kenyon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ault
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Desatendidas, Tropicales y Transmitidas por Vectores, Departamento de Enfermedades Transmisibles y Análisis de Salud, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Washington DC, EE. UU.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Catalá Pascual
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Desatendidas, Tropicales y Transmitidas por Vectores, Departamento de Enfermedades Transmisibles y Análisis de Salud, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Washington DC, EE. UU.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Grados-Zavala
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Transmisibles y Análisis de Salud, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gonzálvez García
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Desatendidas, Tropicales y Transmitidas por Vectores, Departamento de Enfermedades Transmisibles y Análisis de Salud, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Washington DC, EE. UU.
authors.forename: Luis Gerardo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Castellanos
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control