SCI Foundation part of a groundbreaking new UK aid package

Will help protect 200 million people worldwide from debilitating diseases

Today, in a speech at the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network Conference in Liverpool, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Baroness Sugg announced a new UK aid programme that will fight diseases in 25 of the world’s poorest countries. The SCI Foundation is part of a consortium of experts that, as part of the £220 million programme, will tackle five of the world’s worst Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). These are lymphatic filariasis (also known as elephantiasis); onchocerciasis; schistosomiasis; visceral leishmaniasis and trachoma, all of which can cause disability, death and disfigurement and trap victims in a cycle of poverty.

Baroness Sugg says:

“These debilitating – but preventable – diseases stop sufferers from working, studying and leading prosperous, healthy lives. This new UK aid support will stop hundreds of millions of people suffering unnecessarily from treatable conditions. It shows how the UK is helping to lead the way in tackling deadly global diseases more generally, including polio and malaria.”

Dr Wendy Harrison, CEO of The SCI Foundation says:

“We are proud to be part of this ground-breaking programme and working alongside other experts to deliver schistosomiasis treatments to some of the most under-served and under-represented people across Africa. Work has already started, with our teams working in partnership with Governments and communities to embed these vital programmes that will fundamentally improve people’s lives.”

During her speech at the conference, Baroness Sugg added that she is “proud of UK leadership in the fight against NTDs. Every £1 investment in NTDs has leveraged £15 in donated medicines.” She noted that the “one of the main challenges is to get treatment to people who need them, which is why we will focus on training health workers and support government capacity to strengthen the health system as part of universal health coverage.” The SCI Foundation is proud of its reputation for helping governments in Sub-Saharan Africa to build sustainable and self-managed health programmes and will apply this experience to this new programme.

You can read more about the programme on the DFID website