Peter J. Hotez, Moustapha Kassem

“ There is an intimate link between NTDs and war or post-conflict situations, and, increasingly, with the recent emergence of Ebola and Zika, NTDs are further recognized as relevant to the global security agenda. We are still in the early stages of understanding the relationship between NTDs and such social forces, but one relationship seldom explored is the potential associations between NTDs and the arts and humanities. Possible illustrations of such a connection may be found in 20th century Egypt through the remarkable lives of Abdel Halim Hafez and Taha Hussein. ”

“ Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) , the most common afflictions of the world’s poor, have been shown to exert important influences that extend beyond health. NTDs stifle economic development through their debilitating effects. They also stir up social stigma and cause severe psychological effects, especially for girls and women. ”

“ Abdel Halim Hafez is believed to have contracted schistosomiasis as an adolescent, [c 1] [c 2] and he suffered from chronic liver disease due to the fibrosis that occurs from hepatic granulomas encasing schistosome eggs. He ultimately died from liver failure in a London hospital [c 2] where he was undergoing treatment that included portosytstemic shunt surgery in an attempt to reduce vascular pressures that resulted in esophageal varices. Attendance at his funeral may have reached millions, one of the largest ever in the Middle East and North Africa region. [c 2] ”