Apr 16, 2012
The END Fund, a private philanthropic fund to combat the seven most common Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) today announced that its Board of Directors has named Ellen Agler to serve as Chief Executive Officer.
Ellen Agler previously served as Operation Smile’s Senior Vice President for International Programs. She oversaw programs providing surgery and related comprehensive care to children and adults with cleft lips and cleft palates in over 60 countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. She also led Operation Smile’s global public policy, collaboration and advocacy efforts to promote essential surgery as an integral component of global health policy and programming.
END Fund Chairman Bill Campbell said “Ellen’s experience, leadership and passion for humanitarian work make her the ideal CEO to lead the END Fund. She possesses the essential blend of on-the-ground experience combined with commercial judgment making her the ideal leader for a private philanthropic initiative such as the END Fund. Her appointment is a critical step toward realizing The END Fund’s goal of treating over 50 million people over the next five years.”
Agler has a Masters in International Development Studies from the London School of Economics, where she focused on NGO management, child rights and healthcare delivery in complex emergencies, as well as a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, with a focus on international health and humanitarian affairs.
The END Fund is a joint collaboration between some of the world’s most progressive philanthropists including the Gates Foundation, the Campbell Family Foundation, Dubai Cares, and the Legatum Foundation. The END Fund and its partners have a five year track record of treating NTDs and to date have disbursed over 50 million treatments to over 10 million people over that period. Fundamental to the success of the program is integration into a nation’s National Health Plan which enables the long term disease reduction.
“It’s an honor to join The END Fund and witness first-hand how millions of lives are being transformed for as little as 50 cents per person, per year. My goal is to build an organization that can mobilize significant private sector resources and direct them to the most effective and innovative NTD programs continuing to reduce costs and so ensuring each donated dollar goes further,” said Agler. “The END Fund offers an exceptional social investment opportunity for those interested in not only changing lives and getting children back into school, but also leaving a legacy impacting millions in Sub-Saharan Africa for years to come.”
NTDs affect over 1 billion of the world’s population: these diseases kill, maim and destroy lives predominantly in Africa. NTDs disproportionately affect children, preventing the growth and development of children, particularly their brains, during a critical stage of their development. They are one of the biggest reasons for student absenteeism and decreased productivity in school.