A thematic series in Infectious Diseases of Poverty.

We are experiencing the process of global large-scale urbanization and nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050 according to the World Urbanization Prospects issued by the United Nations. Urbanization has the pros and cons like a double-edged sword. Improved health services, better infrastructure and more employment opportunities benefit people a lot, but the overcrowding, environmental pollution, dietary changes and traffic jam may cause health problems.

Non-communicable diseases have attracted researcher’ concern due to its increasing importance during the process of urbanization (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, hypertension, obesity), but the communicable diseases seem to be neglected. The ongoing global pandemic caused by COVID-19 warns us again about the potential threats from infectious diseases, the wide connectivity, heightened mobilities and potential zoonotic risks from rapid urbanization became immediately apparent for human health. For low-income countries, infectious diseases still have a profound impact since the leading morbidity and mortality are still infectious diseases and many of those low-income countries will have a major growth among urban population in the future. Urbanization can result in an amount of changes such as the environment, climate, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, social and spatial aspect, human behavior and population movement and land-use, which will re-shape the (re)emergence and trajectory of infectious diseases, both human diseases and zoonotic diseases contributing to the occasionally cross species spillovers from wildlife populations to humans.

As a complex dynamic process, urbanization is associated with human, domestic poultry, wild birds, environment and even expanded interfaces of contacts among them, which may all result in increased vulnerability to infectious disease. Besides, due to different urbanization process, social class and educational level, the influence of urbanization on infectious diseases will be very heterogeneous and the local diseases and health challenges can greatly differ. Hence, a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach including epidemiology, geography, sociology, ecology, zoology, veterinary science, statistics and others is needed to better illuminate the relationship between urbanization and infectious diseases.

In order to better understand the impact of urbanization on infectious diseases and provide rational policy suggestions on improving human health, the journal of Infectious Diseases of Poverty is launching a new Thematic Series entitled Urbanization and infectious diseases. This series will focus on better evidence of impacts of the urbanization process on various infectious diseases, included but not limited to vector-borne infectious diseases, water-borne diseases, food-borne diseases, natural focus disease or endemic disease, respiratory diseases, zoonotic diseases and emerging infectious diseases.

There is a great need for preventing infectious diseases of poverty, a group of diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest populations, exacerbating cycles of poverty and poor health. They are highly prevalent in low-income and marginalized communities and closely associated with inadequate access to healthcare, poor sanitation, malnutrition (including vitamin A deficiency) and limited resources for prevention and treatment. Reference is made to a broad range of viral diseases, such as measles, dengue fever, rotavirus, but also bacterial (tuberculosis (TB) and cholera), protozoal (malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas) as well as the large number of common worm infections: soil-transmitted helminth infections (STH), strongyloidiasis, schistosomiasis, food-born trematodiasis (FBT), lymphatic filariasis (LF), cysticercosis and echinococcosis.

Many of these diseases, in particular those caused by worms, are currently controlled by preventive chemotherapy, while some viral infections can be averted by vaccines. A wider spectrum of vaccines is needed, including agents directed against diseases that are currently controlled by drugs. Work on understanding the biology of the many different pathogens requires innovative technologies to overcome challenges such as pathogen variability and immune evasion, while simultaneously keeping safety standards high. In addition, the end product must be manufactured at scale and distributed efficiently while at the same time be affordable, something that faces logistical challenges in resource-poor settings.

To control poverty-related infectious diseases, vaccines must be accessible to those who need them most. They contribute strongly in the multifaceted endeavour for controlling and eventually eliminating the infectious diseases of poverty, but require a combination of scientific innovation, strategic planning and equitable access to make a significant impact on global health. Indeed, vaccines are critical in the fight against diseases in low-income countries, offering a cost-effective and efficient means of preventing illness, saving lives and promoting global health equity.

So far, smallpox is the only human infection that has been eradicated but polio is not far behind. This promises further progress creating and implementing immunizations that target other widespread infections. While knowledge of specific cytokine responses, and the antibodies they elicit, assists the choice of which antigens to focus on for vaccine development, novel adjuvants contribute to selective manipulation of the immune response. Importantly, the drug-related control of the worm infections can be prolonged if complemented with vaccines preventing reinfection. Repositioning of vaccines within the total infectious disease scenario through the combined use of chemotherapy and vaccination would thus be a versatile approach to control and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty.

This thematic series aims to trigger more research on areas including (i) Screening to find more vaccine candidates that can effectively trigger a protective immune response, (ii) Clinical trials to move potential vaccines towards Phase 1, Phase II and eventually Phase III testing while ensuring both safety and efficacy, (iii) Manufacturing and Distribution to make sure that verified products can be quickly manufactured at scale and distributed efficiently, (iv) Policy and Advocacy to promote the deployment of affordable vaccines to the populations most in need of them through enhanced funding for vaccine research and extensive vaccination campaigns. In this way, the proposed series will address the unique challenges of poverty-related infectious diseases ensuring that vaccines are not only developed but also reach those who need them.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being.

All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details here). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief.