According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people suffer from so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These mostly affect population groups that live in extreme poverty and have no access to adequate healthcare, education, water, hygiene and sanitation. The WHO currently lists 21 neglected tropical diseases, including snakebite poisoning and diseases caused by worms, protozoa, bacteria or viruses. Although there are treatment options or vaccinations for some of these diseases, they are difficult to obtain or unaffordable in most of the countries affected.

Back in 2018, NTD experts were commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to determine for the first time what contribution German institutions make to research and development on neglected tropical diseases. The analysis was carried out in close cooperation with the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs), the German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health (DTG) and the German Society for Parasitology (DGP). This second survey is the first following the signing of the Kigali Declaration by the German government in 2022, in which Germany commits to the goal of contributing to the global fight against NTDs in the area of research and development.

In descending order, the most funding was provided for research into lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis and sleeping sickness. Most publications with German participation appeared on leishmaniasis, followed by dengue fever and schistosomiasis.