Editorial for Special Issue "Antiprotozoal Activity of Natural Products"

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), a group of diverse infectious diseases, repre-sent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the world's low-income pop-ulations. These diseases are often referred to as "neglected" due to their historical lack of attention from the global health agenda and research investment, with the excep-tion of some important support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.5 billion people are affected by at least one NTD, causing around 500,000 deaths yearly, social discrimination, and phys-ical suffering. Although NTDs can be found worldwide, they are most prevalent in tropical areas, where factors such as limited access to clean water, favorable environ-mental conditions, and inadequate sanitation expedite their transmission. Among a core group of 20 NTDs and conditions, the infections caused by single-celled protozoan parasites, such as Human African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness or HAT), Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, and Malaria, are regarded as therapeutically challenging be-cause of their elevated fatality rates and limited treatment options. Even though Malaria is not included in the NTDs’ list, it remains a significant public health issue in many NTD-endemic regions, and it is frequently considered within the framework of initiatives aimed at managing and eradicating NTDs.