How modelling can help steer the course set by the World Health Organization 2021-2030 roadmap on neglected tropical diseases

<ns3:p>The World Health Organization recently launched its 2021-2030 roadmap, <ns3:italic>Ending</ns3:italic><ns3:italic> the </ns3:italic><ns3:italic>Neglect</ns3:italic><ns3:italic> to </ns3:italic><ns3:italic>Attain</ns3:italic><ns3:italic> the </ns3:italic><ns3:italic>Sustainable Development Goals</ns3:italic><ns3:italic>,</ns3:italic> an updated call to arms to end the suffering caused by neglected tropical diseases. Modelling and quantitative analyses played a significant role in forming these latest goals. In this collection, we discuss the insights, the resulting recommendations and identified challenges of public health modelling for 13 of the target diseases: Chagas disease, dengue, <ns3:italic>gambiense</ns3:italic> human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT), lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, rabies, scabies, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), <ns3:italic>Taenia solium</ns3:italic> taeniasis/ cysticercosis, trachoma, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and yaws. This piece reflects the three cross-cutting themes identified across the collection, regarding the contribution that modelling can make to timelines, programme design, drug development and clinical trials.</ns3:p>