Study 4 — Bibliometric Gap Analysis: Research Investment per DALY for Neglected Parasitic Diseases

Study 4 of the Hidden Infections research series. Quantifies the research investment disparity for neglected parasitic diseases by comparing publication volume per million DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) lost. Soil-transmitted helminths generate the lowest research intensity at approximately 1,180 publications per million DALY — substantially below major non-communicable diseases and viral infections. Strongyloides stercoralis specifically generates only 298 corticosteroid-associated adverse event publications despite an estimated 370 million infected individuals globally. The analysis identifies a consistent inverse relationship between infection prevalence and research attention, with the greatest gaps in infections affecting sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia. Group A: Institutional lag and diagnostic failure. CC0 public domain. AI-assisted draft pre-print.