Training resources for skin neglected tropical diseases: coverage, quality and gaps - a scoping review

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over one billion people worldwide. More than half of these NTDs primarily affect the skin and are known as 'skin NTDs'. Several recent initiatives have aimed to teach frontline healthcare workers to identify and manage these conditions. However, the content and quality of existing training materials have not been analysed, leaving gaps unclear. This scoping review evaluates skin NTD training materials to identify priorities for resource development. Training materials for frontline healthcare workers available via the InfoNTD, OpenWHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention platforms were reviewed for content, year, target audience, region of focus, languages, format and quality. A grey literature search was also conducted to include resources not indexed in these platforms. Of 372 available resources, 114 met study criteria. These included online courses, manuals, web pages, videos, mobile apps, podcasts, articles, booklets, games, slides and databases. Most resources (81.6%, 93/114) discussed 1 NTD rather than multiple diseases. Diagnosis, treatment, complications and follow-up care were included in 78.1% (89/114), 90.4% (103/114), 57.0% (65/114) and 29.8% (34/114) of the resources, respectively. Discussions of complications and follow-up were frequently limited. No materials addressed follow-up of tungiasis. Almost one-third of materials (31.6%, 36/114) did not include images, and 75.4% (86/114) did not include interactive features. Most resources (71.1%, 81/114) were exclusively available in English. In summary, substantial gaps in skin NTD training materials were identified. Enhancing resources with comprehensive information on complications and follow-up, high-quality images, interactive elements and translation for distribution in NTD-endemic areas is needed to strengthen training efforts and improve patient outcomes.