Even though some diseases may not be making people in your neighborhood sick, they may be common in other parts of the world. Given that people commonly travel for business, to visit family and friends, to volunteer with relief groups, and for vacation, the viruses or bacteria that cause infectious diseases can easily “hitch a ride.” 

Because no country in the world exists in isolation, control of diseases must be collaborative. While communication between countries and regions must be open and disease tracking coordinated, public health approaches and vaccine schedules may vary.

Each year millions of people around the world die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Most of the deaths are due to a lack of immunization. People may not receive needed vaccines because of availability, personal beliefs, vaccine safety concerns, or circumstances out of their control. Availability and circumstance are particularly important in the developing world. 

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infectious diseases that are considered “neglected” because they have traditionally received relatively little attention from global governments and health organizations.