All posts by Global Network for NTDs

Honoring the life of Rep. Donald Payne

Global Development, policy

It is with great sadness that the Global Network shares the news of the passing of Representative Donald Payne (D-NJ). Rep. Payne died in New Jersey after a brief battle with colon cancer. The first African American to be elected to represent New Jersey’s 10th District, Rep. Payne was a tireless advocate of humanitarian assistance and spoke out on behalf of people suffering from disease, persecution, and poverty around the world.

As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as the highest ranked Democrat on the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, Rep. Payne worked on legislation to promote democracy, protect human rights, and facilitate famine relief, to name just a few of his accomplishments.  He also helped secure $50 billion in funding for HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria under PEPFAR.

In 2008, Rep. Payne, in collaboration with now Senator John Boozman (R-AR) and former First Lady Laura Bush launched the Congressional Malaria Caucus to raise awareness of the United States’ efforts to control and treat malaria. Rep. Payne took his commitments to global health one step further in 2009 by expanding the Caucus to include neglected tropical disease (NTD) control and prevention within its mission.

With the announcement of his position as Co-Chair of the Caucus for the 112th Congress, Rep. Payne asserted that, “In a time of crucial discussions about U.S. foreign assistance reform, malaria and NTD control and prevention represent some of the strongest returns on investment for foreign assistance dollars.” His comments resonate with the Global Network’s mission and reflect his dedication to improving the lives of the world’s bottom billion.  In 2010, Rep. Payne sponsored a Congressional briefing, “Can NTDs be Eliminated?” hosted by the Global Network, signifying his strong support in the fight against NTDs and for which we are truly grateful.  In a statement by Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Jeff Fortenbery (R-NE) today, he echoed those sentiments as he mourns the loss of a good friend.

It was a pleasure to work with Rep. Payne and his staff in the fight against NTDs, and the Global Network will remember him as a true champion of neglected diseases and neglected people around the world.

END7: Ending 7 Diseases by 2020

Just 50 Cents, NTDs, , , ,

We’re at the beginning of something big.

Not many people know about neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) –  a group of parasitic infections that cause needless suffering among more than 1 billion of the poorest people worldwide. END7 is a campaign to see the end of 7 of the most common NTDs by 2020. All it costs is 50¢ to treat and protect one person for one year.

Join us in our mission to end 7 diseases by 2020 – watch our mission in (just over) a minute below and . Together we can see the end!

 

The Global Health Burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Africa, NTDs, , , ,

The World Health Summit will take place next week from October 23-26 in Berlin, Germany. The Global Network’s Managing Director Dr. Neeraj Mistry will be in attendance. To promote the summit and advocate for NTDs, Dr. Mistry authored a blogpost for the ONE Campaign Germany. Find the English version below:

By: Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases

Two years ago, out in the farthest reaches of Burundi’s Rutana province, deep in terrain that could have been lush with agriculture, a community rejoiced. Its population had been plagued by river blindness, a disabling and blinding disease which is transmitted through the bite of a black fly. The flies come from the streams and rivers that keep the land fertile, making the water both a blessing and a curse. However, in 2009, Burundi’s ministry of health found this remote community and with the help of global health partners, delivered enough ivermectin to treat everyone in the area. Leonard Medina, the 37-year-old chief of the community, said that people are now returning to work, children are going back to school, and communities broken by genocide, civil war and disease are finally getting the opportunity to rebuild. Without the heavy burden of disease, the land and the people are getting their chance to flourish.

River blindness is in a group of diseases called the neglected tropical diseases or NTDs. Over 1 billion people around the world are affected by NTDs, most of whom live on less than $1.25 per day (US dollars). One in every six people globally has at least one of the seven most common NTDs. That means that every day, half a billion children are forced to go to school feeling tired and malnourished because of a common parasite infection that leads to blood loss and anemia. Millions of people are slowly losing their eyesight because of an infection that turns their eyelashes inwards, scratching their corneas each time they blink. Millions more are left disabled and disfigured by the swollen limbs and genitalia caused by another all too common parasite. These diseases stigmatize, disable and inhibit individuals from being able to care for themselves or their families—all of which promote poverty. Continue reading →

We Can Do It!

Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Maternal Healthcervical cancer, , human papillomavirus, immunization, vaccine

Flickr/ The U.S. National Archives

By: Carly Gasca

As people around the world celebrate women’s achievements during International Women’s Day on March 8th, it is important to pause and remember that progress still needs to be made in improving the health of women worldwide. Despite the advancements that women have experienced in many areas, women’s health issues still need to be tackled around the globe. One such health issue involves the Human papillomavirus (HPV) and the diseases it can cause in women, most notably cervical cancer.

Genital HPV can be described as a silent attacker, which makes this sexually transmitted infection extremely common. HPV is so common that at least 50% of all sexually active individuals will harbor the infection at some point in their lives, but most people won’t even realize it. HPV infections are generally free of symptoms, and the body’s immune system is capable of eliminating 90% of all HPV cases within two years of infection. However, the other 10% of high-risk HPV cases that remain in the body have the potential to develop into cancers years later. Genital HPV is estimated to cause nearly 100% of cervical cancer cases.

Cervical cancer is a major killer of women worldwide, claiming the lives of over 250,000 women every year. There is a striking disparity in the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths between high- and low-income populations. The disease burden of cervical cancer rests disproportionately on countries in developing parts of the world. The alarming fact that nearly 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean is due to the lack of HPV prevention and screening methods in these regions. Continue reading →

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