These are impressive figures, and the expense is trivial compared to the anti-retroviral drugs needed to treat AIDS, which cost more than $200 annually and must be taken every day, not every year. Given that roughly one billion people are infected with NTDs, compared to 40 million with HIV, and that the drugs targeting them are donated and actually prevent disease and stop transmission, treating NTDs is a major opportunity to lift populations out of poverty.
这些数字十分可观，而且相比治疗艾滋病所需的抗逆转录病毒药物，费用更是微不足道，后者每年的花费是200美元以上，而且必须每天服用，而不是每年一次。鉴于感染NTD的病人约有10亿（感染HIV的病人有4000万），而且治疗这些疾病的药物是捐赠的，且的确能够起到预防和阻止传播的作用，可以说解决被忽视的热带病是消除贫困问题的重要机会。