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...that millions are disabled and dying from diseases that can be prevented and treated. JOIN SHARE LEAD
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Welcome to the NTD Advocate, the Global Network E-Newsletter. Our alliance of the major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) partnership is working to reduce the burden of these conditions in the developing world. As a leading advocate for the world's poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa, Asian, and the Americas, the Global Network looks foward to hearing your comments and your interest to join us in the fight against chronic disease, disability, and poverty.
Peter Hotez, M.D., PhD, FAAP
The Global Network, based at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is an alliance formed at the Clinton Global Initiative that aims to alleviate the great physical, emotional and economic suffering caused by neglected tropical diseases. NTDs are the most common affliction of the "poorest of the poor" - one billion people living on less than $2 per day. NTDs kill, blind, disable, disfigure, and keep their victims in an unending cycle of poverty. The Global Network is fostering an integrated NTD control strategy that simultaneously treats seven NTDs - safely, effectively and affordably - $0.50 per person per year - and, in turn, helps the world's poorest lead healthier lives and reach their human potential.
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Sabin Vaccine Institute |
 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
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Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health (LATH) |
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Helen Keller International Helen Keller International (HKI) is devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition. HKI has programs in 22 countries around the world, which combat malnutrition, cataracts, trachoma, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and refractive error. The goal of all HKI programs is to reduce suffering of those without access to needed health or vision care, and ultimately to help lift people from poverty. |
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International Trachoma Initiative |
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Schistosomiasis Control Initiative The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) at Imperial College, London works with African governments to establish national NTD control programs. Currently, they are working in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. |
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Earth Institute- Columbia University |
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Task Force for Child Survival and Development The Task Force has been working since 1984 to improve health and human development around the world. They work with leaders and other organizations to advance public health and have expertise in the areas of infectious diseases, informatics, child health and development, and injury control. |
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Global Alliance for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis |
On July 9-10, 2007 the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (the Global Network) and its founding partners met at The Earth Insitute at Columbia University for its inaugural Partners' Meeting to advance the strategic plan of the Global Network.
Partners in attendence included (from left to right) Eric Ottesen, Task Force for Child Survival and Development; Kathy Spahn, Hellen Keller International; Nana Twum-Danso, Task Force for Child Survival and Development; Chad MacArthur, Hellen Keller International; Ibrahim Jabr, International Trachoma Initiative; Joanna Rubinstein, Earth Institute at Columbia University; John McCullough, Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Alan Fenwick, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative-Imperial College London; Jeffrey Sachs, Earth Institute at Columbia University; David Molyneux, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Peter Hotez, Sabin Vaccine Institute; Lorenzo Savioli, World Health Organization; Azalea Kim, Sabin Vaccine Insitute; Ian Maudlin, Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh; Kari Stoever, Sabin Vaccine Insitute; Karen Palacio, Sabin Vaccine Institute.
Not pictured: Denis Daumerie, World Health Organization and Mark Rosenberg, Task Force for Child Survival and Development.
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In early March the Global Network was awarded an $8.9 miillion USD grant via Geneva Global Inc. to fund a campaign to control and eliminate seven NTDs in two East African countries, Rwanda and Burundi. The grant, the largest single grant from a Geneva Global client, is being used to develop a "rapid-impact" treatment program, which will be beginning at the end of the summer.
Alan Fenwick, O.B.E., Ph.D, the principal investigator for the Geneva Global grant, played an instrumental role in facilitating the process. Fenwick, Director of the London-based Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), at Imperial College of London, said, "This grant provides us with the funding to affect lasting positive change in both Rwanda and Burundi by following World Health Organization's guidelines for treatment. We will target seven diseases: trachoma, hookworm, ascaris, trichuris, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis and schistosomiasis. The network extends its deepest appreciation to the tremendous team at Geneva Global and to their clients for helping us to combat and control NTDs in these two countries and improve millions of lives."
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This month we proudly announced Alyssa Milano as Founding Lead Ambassador of the Global Network. In her role as ambassador, Milano will work to raise awareness of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people that are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis. In her first act as founding ambassador, Milano pledged $250,000 over five years towards the purchase of safe, effective and inexpensive drugs to combat NTDs. The Global Network and its partnering organizations will use Milano's first-year donation for a full-scale implementation program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation where LF is extremely prevalent. More specifically, 12 million tablets of DEC, which is part of the rapid impact package, will be purchased to treat four million individuals.
Milano, an active philanthropist, was introduced to the Global Network through her involvement at the Clinton Global Initiative. Upon hearing a panel discussion on NTDs that included Peter Hotez, President of Sabin Institute, and former President Jimmy Carter, she pledged to dedicate time, efforts and funds to promote advocacy, policy and partnerships in the global fight against NTDs.
View the press release of Milano's announcement.
Visit Alyssa Milano's blog where she discusses the Global Network.
The Global Network has gratefully welcomed the increased media exposure in recent weeks. The publicity from our new Lead Ambassador, Alyssa Milano, New York Times Columnist, Nicholas Kristof and appearance on Bloomberg Television resulted in heightened public awareness of NTDs. Following this publicity, the Global Network has received generous online donations and mobilized new members to join the fight against NTDs.
Dr. Peter Hotez appreared on Bloomberg Television's "On The Economy" and Bloomberg Radio's "Simply Put" to raise awareness of NTDs as a result of MWW Group's "Africa Day" media outreach for the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Global Network. Dr. Hotez weaved key messages into both interviews, in discussing the negative affect NTDs have on the economies of African countries and in emphasizing that many of the diseases are treatable for only $0.50 per person per year.
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Professor Fenwick has spent his working life in Africa specializing in schistosomiasis. He went to Tanzania as a malacologist in 1966 and moved to Sudan in 1971, employed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he managed the applied research component of the Blue Nile Health Project. After 17 years in Sudan he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and moved to Egypt in 1988 where he was tasked with the management of a $39.6 million project under USAID. Alan stayed in Egypt and moved onto managing a schistosomiasis vaccine development project for USAID while concurrently assisting implementation of the National Schistosomiasis Control Project. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in awarding this grant, has allowed Professor Fenwick to fulfill his dream to help countries in Sub-saharan Africa to control morbidity due to schistosomiasis. In October 2004, he became Professor of Tropical Parasitology at Imperial College London. Last April, the Minister of Health of Burkina Faso, the Honorary Alain Yoda, recognized Professor Fenwick and his team with the honor and title of Chevalier of the Ordre National for their implementation of a schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth control program in the effort to control NTDs in Burkina Faso. They were presented the Chevalier medal and ribbon in the presence of over 2000 dignitaries and the Governor of the Province.
Learn more about what the Global Network is doing in Rwanda and Burundi.
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By Elisa Bosque-Olivia, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative
Aboubacar Ganame is an 11-year-old boy from the
The pictures below show Aboubacar with a urine sample before (with blood) and after (clear) he was treated.
Aboubacar was first treated for schistosomiasis and intestinal worms in October 2004 when the PNLSc conducted a mass treatment campaign in the
“Since I took the medicine I feel much better. Before, I did not feel well, there was blood in my urine and I was always tired. I did not know I was sick until our health agent told me I had bilharzia. Now I feel healthy. I would like to thank everybody the health agents and nurses -- who organize treatment campaigns every year. I am happy that I now have the energy for school and play!” - Aboubacar Ganame
Like many of his classmates and friends, Aboubacar has benefited from mass treatment campaigns that have reduced both the prevalence and intensity of a very common parasitic disease. Schistosomiasis can be found in many parts of sub-Saharan
“Aboubacar is a healthy student now - he will one day serve his country"-Aboubacar's teacher
The PNLSc was established in 2004 through funding from the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI). The first mass treatment campaign was organized in October 2004 and treated over one million school-aged children (5 to 15 year olds) in four priority regions. In October 2005 the program treated 2.3 million school-aged children in the nine remaining regions of the country. In 2006, PNLSc re-treated the school-aged children that were first treated in 2004 and an additional 1.8 million adults from high risk communities were treated for both schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths. In order to ensure that the benefits of mass treatment campaigns are long-term, both continued surveillance and periodic treatment are needed throughout the country.
The Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso has now integrated the PNLSc with the control of neglected tropical diseaes (NTDs); more specifically, the control of onchocerciaisis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and trachoma (preventable blindness). The new program is receiving funding for integrated mass treatment from both the US government, through USAID's newly sponsored NTD program, and from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through SCI. We hope the benefits Aboubacar felt after the mass treatment campaigns for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths can be enjoyed by many others for years to come, and that the ill-health and morbidity caused by the NTDs are reduced to levels that no longer consitute a public health issue.
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The countries of Cambodia, Laos and Burkina Faso have now met the objective of WHA resolution WHA54.19 (2001) regarding the provision of regular periodic deworming [desparasitacion] of 75% to 100% of at-risk school-age children by the year 2010.
These 3 countries, two in Asia and one in Africa, are among the poorest countries in the world, and are the only countries to have met the WHA objective/goal to date - as reported by their Ministries of Health or WHO offices. Their success is a demonstration of what political will can achieve, supported by a well-trained local team (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, WHO, collaborating UN agencies and the NGO partners).
Sixtieth World Health Assembly addressed by WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan
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Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections
On April 19-20, 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) and its key partners met as part of the First WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Global Partners Meeting held in Geneva. The summit was called to initiate discussion to develop a strategic plan of action against the NTDs that plague over a billion of the world's poorest people.
The meeting brought together members of the WHO, the President of Burkina Faso, the Vice-president of Tanzania, numerous health ministers and the world's experts in NTD research and advocacy. These leaders discussed the enhancement of public-private partnerships, improved interaction on specific initiatives and increased global advocacy for NTDs.
The President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Dr. Peter Hotez, addressed the criticality and urgency of NTD control. He described the control of NTDs as the "most important new weapon in our global fight for sustainable poverty reduction...if nurtured appropriately it will gain momentum in an uprecedented and effective manner."
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