Background: Diarrhoea still accounts for considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide. The highest burden isconcentrated in tropical areas where populations lack access to clean water, adequate sanitation and hygiene. Incontrast to acute diarrhoea (<14 days), the spectrum of pathogens that may give rise to persistent diarrhoea(≥14 days) and persistent abdominal pain is poorly understood. It is conceivable that pathogens causing neglectedtropical diseases play a major role, but few studies investigated this issue. Clinical management and diagnosticwork-up of persistent digestive disorders in the tropics therefore remain inadequate. Hence, important aspectsregarding the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical symptomatology and treatment options for patients presentingwith persistent diarrhoea and persistent abdominal pain should be investigated in multi-centric clinical studies.