President Clinton Inaugurates Sabin's "Stop Neglected Tropical Disease" Campaign at the 2007 Clinton

Effort to Mobilize $25 Million to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Disease Endorsed by Celebrities, Athletes, Political Leaders and Global Health Experts

Published on 9.27.07

NEW YORK, N.Y. (September 27, 2007)

President Bill Clinton today announced the launch of the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s campaign to eliminate thirteen diseases of poverty, known as “Neglected Tropical Diseases” (NTDs). Launched at the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative, the “STOP NTDs” campaign seeks to raise $25 million for neglected tropical disease control and prevention. Neglected tropical diseases are the most common affliction of “the poorest of the poor”—one billion people living on less than U.S.$2.00 per day—more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. They blind, disfigure, disable, kill and contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty and stigmatization that leaves millions unable to work or participate in family and community life. Joining President Clinton in inaugurating the campaign were: Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.P., President of Sabin and Dikembe Mutombo, STOP NTDs Campaign endorser, NBA star (Houston Rockets center) and Chairman and President of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation.

STOP NTDs Campaign
The STOP NTDs Campaign aims to increase national and global awareness of the destructive impact of NTDs and to mobilize a campaign to raise $25 million in government funding and donations from individuals, organizations and corporations. Its “call to action” involves the solicitation of “signatures” on an online petition asking the U.S. Congress to designate an NTD Day in 2008 and increase funding for NTD control and research. Collected signatures will be used for advocacy on Capitol Hill and in global advocacy efforts to encourage other developed nations to follow the Congress’ lead. The petition is housed on a new STOPNTDs.org website, as is a video featuring campaign endorsements by: Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; Jeffrey Sachs, Ph.D., Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General; actors Jackie Chan and Alyssa Milano; and Mr. Mutombo, among others. The website also offers donation opportunities for individuals, organizations and corporations, ranging from $25 to protect 50 people to $1,500 to protect a village of 3,000 residents to “adopt a country” options.

“Funds mobilized and raised will be used for the delivery and administration of a ‘rapid impact package’ comprised of four drugs to control and potentially eliminate the seven most common NTDs in high disease burden countries—safely, effectively and affordably, at a cost of only 50 cents per person, per year,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, President of Sabin, and the Walter G. Ross Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine. “This is a fraction of the cost of antiviral treatment for HIV/AIDS and multidrug therapy for tuberculosis.” The integrated control strategy was developed by the Global Network on NTDs, a Sabin-led alliance of leading organizations dedicated to reducing poverty and improving global health through neglected tropical disease control. This strategy is already regarded as a model for global health.

“The treatment and prevention of NTDs not only saves lives, but also improves childhood development, school attendance and performance, pregnancy outcomes and worker productivity in the world’s poorest countries,” said Dr. Hotez. “We are confident the STOP NTDs campaign will succeed, thereby enabling us to establish four new national NTD control programs by 2009.”

Sabin’s Partners Recognized
At the Clinton Global Initiative, Sabin’s partners in the STOP NTDs campaign were also acknowledged, including: the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases; the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation; actress Alyssa Milano, the Global Network’s Founding Ambassador, who has made a personal contribution of $250,000; and TIG Global, an internet marketing firm that is donating $500,000 in services.

Join the Fight Against NTDs

You can take action now at www.STOPNTDs.org by signing Sabin’s STOP NTDs petition. It calls upon Congress to increase awareness of NTDs by designating an NTD Day 2008 and increasing funding for NTD control. You can also make a tax-deductible, secure, online donation at www.STOPNTDs.org. NTD control costs only 50 cents per person, per year, which includes drug delivery, health education materials, training of personnel, monitoring and evaluation.

About NTDs
Neglected tropical diseases are 13 disfiguring and life-threatening, parasitic and bacterial infections that afflict and stigmatize more than one billion people living in the most impoverished areas of the developing world. These easily treatable diseases are often overshadowed, in terms of visibility and resource commitment, by the “Big Three”—HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. However, the immense disability and poverty associated with NTDs ranks them closely with malaria and tuberculosis on the roster of important health problems in the developing world. The Global Network’s “rapid impact package” targets the seven most common NTDs: ascariasis; trichuriasis; hookworm infection; schistosomiasis; lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis); trachoma; and onchocerciasis (river blindness).

About Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Global Network for NTDs
The Sabin Vaccine Institute (www.sabin.org) is a global health, medical research organization based in Washington, D.C. that is leading the fight against diseases of poverty. Sabin serves as Secretariat of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (www.gnntdc.org), which was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006. The Global Network is an alliance of leading global health organizations including the: Sabin Vaccine Institute; Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (Imperial College of London); International Trachoma Initiative; Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine); The Task Force for Child Survival and Development; Helen Keller International; and The Earth Institute at Columbia University.

About the Clinton Global Initiative
The Clinton Global Initiative (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org) is a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The Clinton Global Initiative is a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation (www.clintonfoundation.org).

Sampling of Quotations from STOP NTDs Campaign Video
“NTDs are diseases of poverty that afflict the poorest of the poor—over one billion people. That’s more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. NTDs can be controlled or eliminated affordably, effectively, and safely for just fifty cents per person, per year, or $2.50 over five years. That’s the price of a specialty cup of coffee. ”
Alyssa Milano, Actress,
Founding Ambassador of the Global Network for NTDs

“In the country where I come from, the Democratic Republic of Congo, NTDs have been the major problem for the 60 million people living there. More people today are suffering from these tropical diseases that are destroying the fabric of our society.”

Dikembe Mutumbo
NBA star (Houston Rockets center)
Chairman and President of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation

“It is time for all Americans to help end the cycle of poverty and sickness caused by neglected tropical diseases. Incredible tools of discovery are now available to researchers in the life sciences and we must make sure they are used to develop new cures and new vaccines for neglected diseases. Together, we can stop the terrible toll of these diseases and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

Senator Edward M. Kennedy
(D-Massachusetts)
Chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

“We should all join the fight against NTDs. We should all join the effort worldwide to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This is the great challenge of our generation. We can end extreme poverty. We can bring under control decisively these mass killers and disablers around the world.”

Jeffrey Sachs, Ph.D.
Director, The Earth Institute of Columbia University
Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General

“So, what are you waiting for? Join the fight against NTDs today. Give what you can online at STOPNTDs.org. Please sign the online petition so Congress will make an NTD Day and support NTD control.”

Jackie Chan
Actor

Read the press release.