At the recent “Uniting to Combat NTDs: Translating the London Declaration into Action,” we had a chance to catch up with Bill Campbell, Chairman for The End Fund.

Global Network: What is the significance of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Bill Campbell: When I decided that I wanted to be an activist-philanthropist, I started working on my elevator speech about NTDs right away. I know what neglected tropical diseases are, [as well as most other] people, but they don’t know [the diseases] by their names. So I started out with “listen: join me in trying to really change the world for the poorest of the poor.” HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, polio – those are called the big four in public health, and in general they’re pretty well funded. The next ten diseases are called the neglected tropical diseases and they’re really, really indigenous to the poorest of the poor. You know those big tummies, you know those scratched out eyes? Those are the diseases that we call NTDs and they can be fixed – they can be fixed very economically, but we need help.

Global Network: Why is it important for philanthropists to invest in NTDs?

BC: I think an investment in NTDs is an investment in life. I think those of us who are privileged enough to have become philanthropists should think about how we can give back for the great things that have happened to us.

You see a girl [who is] ten years old with one of these NTDs and she’s out of school, and before you know it, they keep her out of school, and her destiny just becomes so much poorer than what we’ve been given, and that’s why I recommend this cause to my friends.

Global Network: What do you think is the economic benefit of ending NTDs?

BC: If you just see the micro potential of that young girl that I just described – she’s ten years old; she has no future if she can’t go to school. These diseases keep that girl out of school. If we release hundreds of millions of people onto our society, the economic potential, the economic output, has got to be beyond my calculations.

Global Network: What role does The End Fund play in advocating an end for NTDs?

BC: The End Fund is what I’ll call the right thing at the right time. I think that public funding, government funding, etc. can only go so far. There will always be issues in that regard. Neglected tropical diseases have in various places around the world tremendous resources that can appropriately be brought together in order to solve these problems, particularly amongst children and adults. The End Fund is, [in fact], the ultimate collaboration – raising money in order to essentially bring resources that are already there – closer together so that they’re more efficient and effective. That’s our role.

Earlier this month, the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases published some very exciting news – Togo is about to become the first sub-Saharan African country to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF), a painful and disabling neglected tropical disease (NTD) also known as elephantiasis.

At the Global Network our goal is to help end the seven most common neglected tropical diseases, along with all the pain and stigma, all the negative repercussions on health AND development. The success in Togo shows that we can reach elimination targets using the affordable and effective tools we already have at our disposal. Regions in Guatemala and Mexico have also successfully interrupted transmission of onchocerciasis, another one of the most common NTDs, adding further proof that we can see the end of NTDs in our lifetime.

In the PLoS Speaking of Medicine Blog Dr. Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Editor of PLoS NTDs, writes:

“The importance of the paper stems from the fact that it provides further proof of principle that sub-Saharan African nations are building on their previous successes in elimination or eradication of selected neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) including dracunculiasis (guinea worm) in most of the region, onchocerciasis (river blindness) in two countries, and human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in more than a dozen countries.”

Dr. Hotez goes on to explain how he believes the “stars should align” to achieve global elimination of NTDs.

“I am very excited about the results coming out of Togo, which give me cause for great optimism and hope” he concludes.

Togo moves towards LF elimination

An estimated 120 million people worldwide are affected by lymphatic filariasis (LF), a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Without treatment, LF can cause extreme swelling of the extremities causing great pain and disfigurement.

Togo is one of the 34 African countries endemic for lymphatic filariasis and is surrounded by the endemic countries of Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. Following WHO suggestions, Togo founded the National Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (NPELF) in 2000, with dual goals to 1) prevent LF transmission through mass drug administration (MDA) and 2) manage symptoms of those already affected.

As reported, Togo is on its way to confirmed interruption of LF transmission, meaning that they’ve successfully stopped the spread of the disease from person to person so that no new cases occur. After a 5-year surveillance phase, which started in 2010, the country can make the successful completion of this target official.

See the paper to learn more

Just last week, the World Bank released a new video to give people an understanding of who are “the world’s extreme poor.”

These are the approximately 1.2 billion individuals who live off a budget of less than $1.25 per day. To break it down even further: 2.5 billion lack access to basic sanitation; 800 million don’t have access to clean water, and nearly 3 out of 4 live in rural areas that lack necessary access to basic resources.

While these facts are often jarring, we’re still making progress compared to just over two decades ago, when 1.9 billion people lived in extreme poverty. China and India have been among those progressing by respectively reducing their poverty rate from 84% and 60% in 1981 to 12% and 33% in 2010.

The poverty rate is a reflection of international living standards that determine the physical infrastructure of inhabiting environments, economic security and growth, access to education, gender equality and physical health and well-being.

And, these populations in extreme poverty are exactly the same people who are vulnerable to the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Communities that struggle within the climate of extreme poverty often rely on infected water and poor sanitation standards that are more likely to expose them to disease and illnesses. These individuals lack the proper tools and resources necessary to sustain safe environments. Many of these vulnerable populations also live further away from city hubs that would provide them with access to facilities, such as health clinics. Thus further debilitating a perpetual cycle of sickness and poverty.

NTDs have curbed individuals’ health and long exposure to infections can cause lifelong disabilities and even death. However, with the help of international and national institutions and organizations, it now only costs 50 cents to treat a person for up to one year. NTD treatment programs not only represent global health benefits for the developing nation, but also provide cost-effective solutions to reducing poverty on an international scale.

There’s no magical remedy for poverty and while it takes improvements to many aspects of development, real, lasting change can be achieved by working together in an integrated, committed fashion.