Podoconiosis, skin-NTDs and global health.

Skin diseases affect more than 900 million persons globally each year and, as a result, are amongst the commonest conditions seen by healthcare workers. In most countries with tropical climates, many patients coming to a primary health centre have a skin problem and, although the prevalence of many endemic skin diseases such as scabies is variable and changes over time, it may reach unsustainable rates, greater than 15% in some communities. Equally, many of the important disabling infections that are public health priorities in the poorest tropical regions, such as onchocerciasis, leprosy, yaws, Buruli ulcer, mycetoma, lymphatic filariasis and leishmaniasis in addition to scabies, known collectively as Neglected Tropical Diseases or NTDs, present with skin signs and symptoms (skin NTDs).