The goal of this program is to improve quality of life in communities with less resources, promoting high-quality social support and healthcare. We are part of the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), and we work in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Working Areas:

Healthcare Structures

Strengthening the local healthcare structures. 

Diagnosis

Improving the clinical diagnosis of NTDs. 

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Providing water, sanitation, and hygiene to help prevent NTDs. 

Care

Specialized healthcare. 

Training

Training and educating the local healthcare staff. 

Research

Applied research for better diagnosis and treatment. 

Vector Control

Vector control to stop diseases from spreading. 

Awareness Raising

Awareness-raising and IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) campaigns at community level. 

8 projects underway in 7 countries

Current Projects

ETD en Ecuador

In collaboration with the Centro de Epidemiología Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), the intervention will reinforce the work of control and elimination of neglected infectious diseases that was initiated years ago by the entity, through the training of health promoters, the search for prevalence in visits to isolated communities, epidemiological surveillance and community Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programs.


All activities are carried out in coordination with the primary health care system of the national health system. Through monthly meetings to exchange information and the epidemiological situation, health priorities are established, the disease is monitored and the communities with the greatest health problems are targeted.

Leprosy and filariasis in India

In collaboration with Fontilles, the project will strengthen primary health care structures and set up health committees at community level. This includes training of local health workers, vector control, training for the treatment of leprosy and filariasis, as well as health education campaigns in terms of prevention. Finally, the provision of water and sanitation will be addressed as a tool for the control of NTDs and other communicable diseases.


The project will work directly with the tribal and caste Dalit population, the poorest and most discriminated members of Indian society. A high percentage of Dalit children either do not attend school or drop out of school early to work on the streets or engage in begging. For girls it is even worse, as being a Dalit woman entails triple discrimination based on caste, class and gender.

Taeniasis and opisthorchiasis in Cambodia

In collaboration with the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, the project aims to achieve sustained control of opisthorchiasis and taeniasis, two parasitic diseases, in six hyper-endemic communities in northwest Cambodia.


This programme works on mass drug administration, improving hygiene and sanitation (building latrines and drinking water points), as well as re-educating eating habits by teaching people to cook food instead of eating it raw. With all these implementations we  remain cognisant and respectful of traditions and culture, to reduce the number of cases of these two diseases.

Scabies, ringworm, malaria and tuberculosis in Mozambique

In collaboration with the Fundación Mozambique Sur, we are working to improve community health in the south of the country by preventing, diagnosing, treating and monitoring these diseases in a comprehensive and sustainable approach.


We plan to strengthen health care, expand access to services, improve community prevention and reduce associated risk factors. A central element of the project is the deployment of mobile health brigades to deliver essential medical care directly to remote communities with limited access to healthcare services.

Chagas disease in Paraguay

We continue to collaborate with ISGlobal in the Paraguayan Chaco following the launch of three laboratories in this rural area. The project has been identified based on a joint diagnosis of the situation with the local authorities and focuses on improving care for patients with Chagas disease, with special emphasis on maternal and child health. This comprehensive approach includes improving and equipping the labour and delivery room, as well as training staff in ultrasound diagnostics to enhance care for pregnant women.


In addition, the aim is to strengthen the capacity to care for patients with Chagas disease through training in clinical and research aspects. The objective is to improve both the knowledge of health personnel and the quality of health infrastructures. Finally, research and validation of new diagnostic techniques are integrated as part of the project's cross-cutting work and long-term vision.

Chagas disease in Argentina

Through collaboration with the association Hablemos de Chagas, the project will carry out communication and health education activities to raise awareness among the population to prevent and diagnose the disease. We consider that the biomedical and epidemiological aspects are only a fragment of the problem, and it requires incorporating the social and cultural dimensions to understand and address Chagas disease effectively.  


It is estimated that only 10% of those affected are aware of their status and that, furthermore, only 1% have access to treatment. In Argentina, it is estimated that at least 1.5 million people are infected and that 1,000-1,500 children are born infected each year. Many pregnant women are not systematically diagnosed and only 20% of their babies are diagnosed and treated.

Fascioliasis in Bolivia

In collaboration with the SANIT Foundation and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the aim of this project is to support the training of local technicians in the diagnosis of fascioliasis. This disease is on the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases and is highly prevalent in some areas of Bolivia.


PAHO's goal for 2030 is to achieve the elimination of fascioliasis as a public health problem in the country. But monitoring of the improvement of the situation has been weak, due to the lack of capacity to perform the Kato-Katz (KK) clinical diagnostic test in the country. It is not possible to determine the prevalence and, consequently, to monitor the status of the disease in the area. Following the mass administration of the prophylactic drug scheduled for 2025, the diagnostic evaluation will be carried out and the results analysed.

Completed Projects

The Neglected Tropical Diseases Program helps to meet the following SDGs