The impact of COVID-19 on clinical research for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): A case study of bubonic plague

Background Among the many collaterals of the COVID-19 pandemic is the disruption of health services and vital clinical research. COVID-19 has magnified the challenges faced in research and threatens to slow research for urgently needed therapeutics for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and diseases affecting the most vulnerable populations. Here we explore the impact of the pandemic on a clinical trial for plague therapeutics and strategies that have been considered to ensure research efforts continue. Methods To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trial accrual rate, we documented changes in patterns of all-cause consultations that took place before and during the pandemic at health centres in two districts of the Amoron’I Mania region of Madagascar where the trial is underway. We also considered trends in plague reporting and other external factors that may have contributed to slow recruitment. Results During the pandemic, we found a 27% decrease in consultations at the referral hospital, compared to an 11% increase at peripheral health centres, as well as an overall drop during the months of lockdown. We also found a nation-wide trend towards reduced number of reported plague cases. Discussion COVID-19 outbreaks are unlikely to dissipate in the near future. Declining NTD case numbers recorded during the pandemic period should not be viewed in isolation or taken as a marker of things to come. It is vitally important that researchers are prepared for a rebound in cases and, most importantly, that research continues to avoid NTDs becoming even more neglected.
Author summary The COVID-19 pandemic has forced health systems to re-evaluate service provision, leading to the diversion of resources and widespread disruption of research activities. In particular, the pandemic has jeopardised the progress of research for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which has historically faced considerable challenges. Many NTDs suffer a lack of robust clinical evidence to support current treatment recommendations and previous attempts to conduct clinical trials have been hampered by field conditions. This article presents the case of a randomised controlled trial for an NTD that was initiated at the start of the pandemic and explores the factors that may have influenced enrolment. Importantly, this article highlights mitigation strategies that have been considered by the trial team to ensure that trial activities can be maintained. The reduction in reporting of NTDs during the pandemic does not necessarily mean that there are fewer cases at the community level or that this trend will continue. As outbreaks of COVID-19 persist, strategies to mitigate the effect of continued disruption are critical to ensure that, even with a downward trend in NTD case notification, studies addressing an urgent research need can continue and NTDs don’t become even more neglected than they already are.