In April, the World Health Organization recommended that most parts of neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs – such as community- and school-based mass drug administrations, training for health care workers, and community-based surveys – be postponed due to COVID-19. While activities are paused, the END Fund has a unique role to play in leveraging our network and resources to continue to help protect the vulnerable communities we serve during these extraordinary times. Our immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to engage with every one of our implementing partners and ask what challenges they face, how they plan to respond, and how we can help.

The END Fund’s COVID-19 Response Fund

Most of our partners will face urgent needs in the coming months. The communities our partners serve are often highly vulnerable and are therefore likely to be particularly impacted by COVID-19. Through the COVID-19 Response Fund, we will support programs, primarily in Africa, that provide communities and health workers with the direct services they need. Given we are in the midst of a worldwide global handwashing campaign and handwashing is also essential in preventing intestinal worm infections, this presents a natural opportunity for the END Fund to contribute to the response effort.

COVID-19 Response Fund Priority Investment Areas:

1) Emergency water, hygiene and sanitation initiatives with a dual benefit of NTD prevention.

2) Critical capacity building among key influencer groups at global, national, and community levels, and communications campaigns that reinforce prevention messaging relevant to COVID-19 and NTDs.All investments in the END Fund COVID-19 Response Fund will go directly to programs.

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