<p>According to the <a href="http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/Human_rights_approach_to_NTD_Eng… Health Organisation</a>, around one billion people worldwide are affected by one or more Neglected Tropical Diseases. Yet these receive little attention and resources, despite their impact on economic development and quality of life. The WHO considers neglected tropical diseases as both a public health and a human rights issue. And while many diseases have been known by specialists for a long time, they only make headlines and enter public consciousness during times of crisis, as demonstrated with the recent ebola and zika epidemics. Raising public awareness of the multiple health problems that beset developing contexts, including many African countries, is vital to ensure some kind of coordinated response. This photo essay by Spanish photojournalist Ana Palacios on the people affected by <a href="http://www.who.int/buruli/en/">Buruli ulcer</a> in different locations in south Benin, in collaboration with the NGO Anesvad, gives us a glimpse of the human cost of neglecting this tropical skin disease.</p>