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.