The END Fund Makes an Urgent Appeal to Treat Those at Risk of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Mali

MALI, Western Africa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The END Fund, the world’s first private philanthropic initiative to combat the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa, announced today an urgent fundraising appeal to ensure continued treatment of almost 12 million people in Mali. Funding has stopped for distribution of medicines that treat and prevent NTD’s; and the clock is ticking to raise enough money to re-start the deployment of medicine to adults and children there. The END Fund has until the end of September to raise the final $100,000.

“Just ten dollars will help deliver donated medicines to 100 children, $50 will help a school of 500 children, and $100 will help an entire village of 1,000 people.”

“We are looking to provide bridge funding to ensure that the millions of people get the medicines they are waiting for to protect them against blinding and disabling diseases,” said Ellen Agler, CEO of The END Fund. “28,000 local community distributors are waiting to hand out the medicine and education materials if we can raise the funds to make this happen.”

The END Fund and its partners, including The Legatum Foundation and The Campbell Family Foundation, are looking to other generous individuals to help in meeting this looming deadline. Getting involved is just one click away. Anyone can donate by going to Razoo.com, the leading crowdfunding platform for causes. Through Razoo, 100% of your gift will go to the Mali project; it will also be doubled with matching funds.

“We really have the chance to improve millions of lives for ten cents per person,” said Agler. “Just ten dollars will help deliver donated medicines to 100 children, $50 will help a school of 500 children, and $100 will help an entire village of 1,000 people.”

Neglected tropical diseases affect over one billion of the world’s poorest people and over 500,000 each year die of these diseases. They can cause blindness, disfigurement, and have debilitating effects on both children and adults.

“No health intervention is more effective than tackling NTDs,” said END Fund Chairman William Campbell. “The END Fund offers an exceptional social investment opportunity for those interested in transforming millions of lives in the short term, while creating a legacy that will positively impact sub-Saharan Africa for years to come,” added Mr. Campbell.

For more information about The END Fund, or to become a pioneer in transforming millions of lives in Africa, please go to www.endfund.org. If you want to make a difference, make a donation at Razoo.com.

About The END Fund:

The END Fund’s mission is to reduce the prevalence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. We accomplish this by: (1) mobilizing and directing resources to where they can have maximum impact; (2) advocating for innovative, integrated and cost-effective NTD programs; and (3) encouraging private sector and individual engagement. The END Fund’s strategic programming and priorities are in line with the global NTD community’s common roadmap to control or eliminate the most common NTDs by 2020. The END Fund has a special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa and currently supports NTD programs in nine countries in this region.

About Razoo

Razoo is a venture funded social enterprise committed to transforming people’s lives through meaningful giving. Its online platform facilitates crowdsourced fundraising for individuals and nonprofits. Razoo is also the leader in community giving days, whose platform has enabled the raising of millions of dollars for local communities around the country. With offices in San Francisco and Washington, DC, Razoo is seed funded by the Legatum Group. The name Razoo is of Australian and New Zealand origin. It refers to a coin of little value: when combined, these small contributions make a huge difference. For more information on Razoo, go to www.razoo.com, follow us on Twitter at @Razoo, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/razoogiving.