Neglected tropical disease control and elimination: Is human displacement an Achilles Heel?
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has estimated that over 40 million people are currently displaced and have variable access to health care in the country in which they reside. Populations displaced by conflict are largely disenfranchised, and high prevalence of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has been documented. NTDs generally affect the least advantaged people in poor societies—populations with little voice or representation. These already susceptible people become even more vulnerable when forced from their communities as internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, or forced migrants.