Tropical medicine. Current problems and possible solutions.

The health of the people in tropical and subtropical countries is compromised because of multiple factors including demography, economics, and particularly an ever-increasing burden of illness from infections and parasitic diseases. At the turn of the century, malaria, schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis are three major challenges that the majority of the world population is facing with few effective chemotherapeutic or immunologic tools. Furthermore, the ever-increasing threat of emerging infections is taxing our surveillance and detection procedures. The modern biomedical revolution promises a better outcome if a global effort in investing in health is effectively launched.