June 23, 2022
In response to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs, the END Fund is proud to commit $161 million, which has been funded through the generosity of our major donors, to co-invest with government partners to achieve a world without NTDs by 2030. The commitment was officially announced today by Dr. Carol Karutu, Vice President of Programs at the END Fund, during a session at the Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Held alongside the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Kigali Summit is a pivotal moment for world leaders and local stakeholders alike to reaffirm their commitments to end NTDs, which affect the lives and livelihoods of nearly 2 billion people. The Kigali Summit builds on the Kigali Declaration on NTDs, which calls on signatories to make bold financial and political commitments towards achieving the World Health Organization’s 2030 Roadmap and the Sustainable Development Goals’ targets for NTDs. The END Fund’s commitment of $161 million will help to fast-track NTD elimination across disease-endemic countries.
“As we look towards NTD elimination by 2030, we are inspired by the Kigali Declaration and what it represents, and from the demonstrations of leadership we are seeing here today,” said Dr. Karutu. “The END Fund is committed to support and galvanize even greater leadership from local stakeholders – from heads of state to the women who are disproportionately affected by NTDs and who, along with their children, represent the key to unlocking the potential of our communities and our economies.”
Since its founding alongside the London Declaration in 2012, the END Fund has made co-investments with governments to ensure the impact and sustainability of NTD elimination efforts. To combat the multi-pronged barriers to elimination, the END Fund takes a systems approach to partnerships, engaging and activating country-level stakeholders including Ministries of Health, local governments, and community-based leaders to most effectively put private capital to work.
In the past ten years, 34 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, bringing the total to date to 43 countries, and 600 million fewer people now require NTD treatments. Building on this progress, the END Fund is committed to continuing to work alongside diverse stakeholders and partners to eliminate NTDs by 2030.