REVIEW 1 As Dr. Peter Hotez notes in the second edition of Forgotten People Forgotten Diseases, thanks to the Millennium Development Goals we are witnessing a new sense of urgency about the suffering of the world''s poorest people. The MDG 6, to "combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases", has been a target for funds from celebrities, philanthropic organizations and G8 nations. But while HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis have received unprecedented levels of interest, there remains a group of diseases that still sit on the sideline. This is a group of exotic-sounding tropical infections that Hotez, a paediatrician and global health advocate, sees as representing "a health and socioeconomic problem of extraordinary dimensions". These are the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), so named because they are just that -- neglected. Testament to his distinction as Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Hotez unleashes his wealth of knowledge in this book on the 17 NTDs identified by the WHO -- a list that spans ascariasis to Wuchereria bancrofti. As somebody who has tried to find information on these diseases in the past, I know that it is a challenge to obtain up-to-date, complete information about the NTDs and their respective eradication efforts.
But Forgotten People Forgotten Diseases provides exactly that "one-stop" resource. This book is comprehensive yet extremely readable, and is meticulously well referenced. It includes numerous colour pictures, maps and simplified diagrams of complex pathogen life cycles. The brilliant summary tables throughout the book present the information in a format that''s easy to read. And even if you just want a basic overview of a condition, Hotez concludes each chapter with summary points that highlight the key bits of information. The book is well structured, with related diseases placed together in the same chapter. Covering soil-transmitted helminth infections, schistosomiasis, filarial infections, blinding diseases, mycobacterial infections, kinetoplastid infections, leptospirosis, dengue, rabies and the neglected tropical diseases of North America. Hotez''s broad-ranging book spans numerous diseases across multiple continents.
The final chapters are on the future trends for controlling NTDs. Here, Hotez details how pharmaceutical companies and advocacy organizations might work to develop new drugs for NTDs, and he gives a great summary of the positive role of product development partnerships (PDPs).These chapters act as a powerful weapon in the battle against the NTDs. Hotez begins each chapter with a couple of inspirational quotes, and I shall end with one of my favourites from the book -- from Albert Sabin himself: "A scientist who is also a human being cannot rest while knowledge which might reduce suffering rests on the shelf." And this book should rest on the bedside table. I, Science (The Science Magazine of Imperial College) www.isciencemag.co.
uk Review Date: July 28, 2014" -Timothy Peplow REVIEW 2 In this volume, the author tells the largely untold story of the world''s "bottom billion"--the poorest of the Earth''s inhabitants. His pithy yet impactful account represents a wealth of knowledge and wisdom for all audiences. Beginning with a crash course in all things "NTD" (neglected tropical dis-ease), Hotez gives his readers a sobering introduction to the scope and nature of NTDs. Elegantly contrasting the rapidly emerging, high mortality diseases that make headlines, the author highlights the longevity of the issue at hand--NTDs are ancient and chronic. Their high disease burden catalyzes poverty, conflict, and stigmatization, and their afflictions leave a path of socioeconomic, political, and developmental destruction in their wake. After convincing his readers of their importance, Hotez carefully details what he deems the most devastating NTDs. Although his list of diseases is less than exhaustive and leaves out important players such as amebiasis, he provides readers with a balanced foundation in clinical manifestations, treatment/prevention strategies, socioeconomic and political consequences, current progress, and future directions. His rundown for each disease will satisfy both interested general readers and seasoned academics.
The true expertise of Hotez''s writing is most evident when he weaves together the subtle themes present in each of his chapters. In the final three chapters, he presents his passion tangibly--creating a collaborative framework for disease control. Again and again, Hotez recounts and encourages a movement to advocacy on a global scale. By detailing the coendemicity of NTDs (as well as other diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis), he makes a convincing case for the necessity of a robust and truly global commitment to NTD reduction and elimination. Hotez enumerates each of the necessary collaborators in this commitment--the effort must be not only global, but also multifaceted. The author recognizes that realizing his vision will require the investment of governmental, academic, and industrial stakeholders. Importantly, this investment, Hotez highlights, does not hinge on altruism alone. Governmental investment provides novel avenues for international diplomacy and foreign relations.
The involvement of industry provides "big pharma" with avenues to fulfill social responsibility as well as with public relations gold mines. Academia''s critical role catalyzes the continued development of a more international, more interdisciplinary, more fruitful status quo. The honest genius of Hotez''s approach finds its home here and is exemplified by his concept of "antipoverty vaccines." His realistic, balanced perspective is illustrated by call for administration of rapid impact packages of drugs and simultaneous execution of preparative measures for the possible emergence of drug resistance. The author''s balance of realism and idealism is his strength; he does not simply tally medical facts, public health statistics, or socioeconomic reports. Rather, his presentation truly interlaces every aspect of neglected tropical diseases--just as they are for the forgotten people of these forgotten diseases. The Quarterly Review of Biology, Volume 89, Number 4 Review Date: December 2014 -Caroline E. Stewart, William A.
Petri REVIEW 3 Medical doctor and founding Dean of the national School of Tropical Medicine Peter J. Hotez presents Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases, an in-depth discussion of neglected tropical diseases that among the most common infections of the world''s poorest populations. Sicknesses covered include soil-transmitted helminth infections (such as hookworm infection), schistosomiasis (snail fever), tropical diseases that blind (such as river blindness and trachoma), mycobacterial infections, kinetoplastic infections (such as sleeping sickness and chagas disease), dengue, rabies, and much more. Now in an updated second edition, Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases scrutinizes how these illnesses have harmed impoverished communities for centuries, and the economic and societal obstacles to treatment. The possibility of alliances between nongovernmental development organizations, as well as public-private partnerships, may allow a ray of hope to shine on a persistent, cyclical world health problem. A handful of color photographs, diagrams, and an index enhance this "must-have" for college and public library health and medicine collections, highly recommended. Midwest Book Review Library Bookwatch (Online Book Reviews) - The Health/Medicine Shelf Review Date: April 2014 -James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review REVIEW 4 Description This book offers a summary of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), reviewing current international control efforts and describing what additional work needs to be undertaken to prevent the poverty-perpetuating effects of these diseases on the.