You've probably never heard of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), even though they are the most common afflictions of the world's poorest people -- more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. In all my travels to developing nations during 10 years of humanitarian efforts, I had not heard of them either. And that was shocking to me. How was it possible that diseases that make life miserable for one out of every six people on earth had gone virtually unnoticed?
I learned about NTDs when I heard Dr. Peter Hotez speak at least year's Clinton Global Initiative and I felt compelled to help raise awareness of this injustice. In the past year, we have made tremendous progress in educating people about the impact of NTDs on the developing world -- but the fact of the matter is that most people still don't know what they are.
These diseases are rightfully called "neglected" because the lives they destroy are those of "the poorest of the poor" -- one billion men, women and children who have no power, who have no voice. Diseases like river blindness, that's caused by black flies that bite their victims near the eyes and leave behind parasitic worms to destroy sight. And snail fever, which you get by simply bathing or washing in a stream, and which causes severe liver or kidney damage. And elephantiasis, so named because it leads to unspeakable deformities, like swelling of the legs to elephant-sized proportions, making even walking impossible. Beyond health, NTDs contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty and stigma that leaves tens of millions unable to work, go to school or participate in family and community life. This cycle of poverty goes on and on, from generation to generation, trapping individuals, families and even entire communities in hopeless misery and despair.
But now, all this is finally changing... I am incredibly proud to join President Clinton and a number of political leaders, celebrities, athletes and global health experts in leading a call to action to stop NTDs now. On September 27, President Clinton focused the world's attention on NTDs by helping inaugurate a bold, new campaign to mobilize $25 million to control and prevent NTDs. It's the Sabin Vaccine Institute's STOP NTDs Campaign. Through STOP NTDs, we are asking people to sign an online petition calling on the U.S. Congress to create an NTD Day in 2008, and to increase funding for NTD control.
The good news -- no, the great news -- is that NTD control is, as Senator Ted Kennedy best describes it, "one of the best buys in public health." You can control and potentially eliminate the seven most common NTDs for just 50 cents per person, per year -- the average cost of parking your car at a meter for one hour, and a fraction of the cost of antiviral treatment for HIV/AIDS and mult-idrug therapy for tuberculosis.
Jackie Chan, Dikembe Mutombo, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Senator Kennedy and I are among the many people who are strongly supporting the STOP NTDs Campaign. Now, it's your turn to take action. Log on to www.stopntds.org, watch the campaign video and sign the online petition and, if you can, make a tax-deductible donation. Remember, just $25 will protect 50 people for an entire year.
Together, we can help lift the world's most neglected people out of poverty and disease.
So please join me today in the fight against NTDs.
Follow Alyssa Milano on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano
Indict Bush Now!
http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/en/
Next time you are at the grocery store look at the food and think: Where did this food come from? Look at the label on the fresh fruit and vegetables. Then open your eyes wide.
if we can't give them clean water in these countries..
vaccines won't be enough.. ever..
it is good to see that those with a place at the table speak of those who don't.. "good on you, Alyssa"..
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Awareness - raised
Petition - signed
Donation - pending
Nice work! Your post sent me off on a whirlwind tangent of benevolence, and I somehow ended up with a UNICEF trick or treat fundraiser on my website.
Kudos - Alyssa
There are more people on this planet living in poverty than there are those who can truly claim to be free but greed prevents us from helping.
What the IMF and WHO do to the poor of the world each day is criminal and Big Agro seeks to control every aspect of the food chain to finish of millions more by ensuring that they cannot provide enough food to sustain themselves while muitinational corporations rape and loot their countries natural resources and Big Pharma uses then as human guinea pigs for drug testing. The american people simply don't care.
For shame.
Wow.
Re Malaria: World Swim Against Malaria has raised $1.8 million to fight malaria, simply by buying mosquito nets for $5 each. Pledge. Swim. Save.
http://www.worldswimagainstmalaria.com/
Every day, enough children to fill SEVEN JUMBO JETS dies from malaria. Watch the ad:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid187784346/bclid187759346/bctid187745273
(Granted the 50 cents per person per year for the NTD meds is but a tenth the cost of one malaria net...)
We are so proud of our technology advancements, but until people and animals stop suffering and there are no more poor in the world, this will continue being the very same primitive and cruel world. Nothing has change so far.
Gemma
Sorry, but we as a species cannot solve huge macro problems such as NTDs and poverty without a large, simply state goal which we then endeavor to achieve. Your cynicism accomplishes far less than the commenter's "infantile romantism", and makes you sound more like Rush Limbaugh than a Democrat.
We spend $200 million in Iraq every DAY.
Infantile romanticism or pragmatic humanitarianism?
So, let's just take three hours "off" in Iraq, and improve the lives of 50 million people.
Signing this petition is a nice gesture, but I would encourage everybody to put their money where their mouth is. You can donate to unicef (or similar organizations) and make even more of a difference. http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/support_1251.html
scene [smile] ) As soon as I can I am going to get involved. Just because of you.
As a physician of course I would like to see these NTD diseases eliminated
But let's be honest-it's mostly about poverty and the environment not about "parasites and pills"
The very LAST thing I would want to see is an export of the failed high tech treatment oriented US health care system to third world nations.
These diseases will go away when the world cares about third world poverty which historically has not been the case with a few exceptions.
Still -Congratulations on your brave work.God Speed.
Dr. Rick Lippin
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com