Can You Spot The Real Disease From A Game Of Thrones Disease?

Game of Thrones is full of great fantasies: Ice zombies, dragons, face-swapping assassins – you name it, it’s got it. But one thing that’s not far from reality are the terrible diseases that plague some of our beloved characters (#TeamJorah).

In fact, the fictional ailments in GOT bear a striking resemblance to a group of very real diseases known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Like the diseases conjured up by George R.R. Martin, NTDs often cause severe pain and disfigurement in those they infect, leaving many sufferers to feel embarrassed and isolated.

But unlike the GOT ailments, NTDs aren’t featured in a hit HBO television series or five best-selling novels. In fact, these are diseases that many people have never heard of – but together affect 1.5 billion people around the world.

Yet there’s reason for hope. In the last few years, we’ve made incredible progress against NTDs – even pushing some of these diseases to the brink of eradication. So, like the fight against the White Walkers, we can’t stop now.

Together, we can #beatNTDs – but first you’ll need to be able to tell them apart from the fictional GOT ailments that sound so similar.