<p>According to the<a href="https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/diseases/en/"&gt; World Health Organization</a> (WHO),&nbsp;Neglected tropical diseases&nbsp;(NTDs)– a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year.</p>

<p>Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.</p>

<p>On the eve before Christmas eve show this year, I play two interviews about two very important NTDs, both parasitic diseases–Chagas disease and schistosomiasis.</p>

<p>Hutchinson Distinguished Professor of &nbsp;Biological Sciences at Loyola University New Orleans, Patricia Dorn, PhD talks about Chagas disease in this Mar. 2017 interview.</p>

<p>In the second half,&nbsp;Parasitology teacher and author of the book,&nbsp;<strong><a data-amzn-asin="0520269772" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0520269772/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8…; target="_blank">Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests</a></strong><img alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=outbre-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp…; style="height:1px; width:1px" />, Rosemary Drisdelle discusses schistosomiasis in this interview earlier this year.</p>