Introduction

Protozoan infections that are endemic in countries with limited economic resources pose a significant public health challenge to affected communities and some of these diseases are categorized as neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. At the moment, there is an urgent need to identify and develop new antiprotozoal drugs. Antiprotozoal Drug Discovery: A Challenge That Remains brings together research from all scientists (including parasitologists, chemists, biologists among others) involved in the field of antiprotozoal experimental pharmacology, drug design and natural product research. The monograph is a compilation of review chapters written by experts on medical parasitology and pharmacology that covers a wide range of topics such as general characteristics of protozoan diseases (malaria, toxoplasmosis, Chagas’ disease, leishmaniasis, trichomoniasis) prophylaxis, treatments, natural products and rational drug design. The contents of this book are useful to medical microbiologists and pharmaceutical scientists seeking to update their knowledge about antiprotozoal drug design.