Neglected Tropical Diseases, Cross-Cutting Issues Workshop, 4-6 February 2015, Utrecht, the Netherlands: meeting report

In the last decade, work on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has gained momentum. This was accelerated by the London Declaration on NTDs in January 2012. Work on NTDs has expanded worldwide and many countries have set up NTD control and elimination programs. However, the work has focussed disproportionately on preventive treatment. There is an urgent need for more attention and resources to work with people with NTD-related morbidity and disability. A lot can be gained in the fight against NTDs by combining knowledge and experience from cross-cutting fields. For this reason a workshop was organized bringing together scientists, experts and practitioners from different NTD backgrounds to explore options for cross-cutting strategies, interventions and research in the field of NTDs, particularly focusing on issues related to morbidity management and disability, in the broadest sense. The workshop produced an inventory of cross-cutting issues, an overview of knowledge gaps and research questions, proposals for pilot (research) projects and a list of recommendations. One of the main recommendations is based on the need for baseline data: to review existing indicators used for monitoring and surveillance of NTD-related morbidity and disability in order to identify common indicators that can be shared across NTDs.