By Henry Rosenbloom Before the creation of Rwanda’s neglected tropical disease program in 2007, there had been little research on two debilitating parasites running rampant throughout the country: intestinal worms and schistosomiasis. But in 2019, the Rwandan government began financing 100% of the operational costs related to mass treatment campaigns that have successfully curtailed these…
Our “Employee Spotlight” series profiles employees at the END Fund. The series is part of an initiative to provide transparency and share the important work that our employees are doing to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Stay tuned as we roll out new spotlights. Click to learn more about the series. When imagining the work…
In June 2024, our founding Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ellen Agler, stepped down after a tremendously successful 12 year term. We are now seeking to appoint her successor as the next CEO. Leadership of the END Fund is where passion, vision, humanity, and intellect merge. This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to take…
My name is Fikre Seife Gebretsadik, but everyone calls me Fikre. I was born and raised about 300 kilometers north of Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa, in one of the most Trachoma endemic farmland areas. In fact, I too was affected multiple times as a child, as well as my parents, close family members, friends…
By Henry Rosenbloom Feysel Abdullahi Samatar underwent a trachomatous trichiasis (TT) surgery in November 2023 to correct complications stemming from a long term trachoma infection. Several months after the surgery, Feysel details his recovery. Click the link to check out Feysel’s first story. Feysel Abdullahi Samatar, 30, has been dealing with vision issues since he…
By Greg Porter In 1944, a young British military doctor – Harold Ridley – set out to make a statement to the medical world. A small man with a round face and circular glasses, Harold spent 18 months stationed in Ghana, where he traveled to remote areas investigating river blindness (also known as onchocerciasis), a disease little known…
Documentary short highlights tireless efforts of frontline health workers to end transmission of river blindness in Senegal EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL MAY 16th 12:00 P.M. (New York, NY) – The END Fund, a private philanthropic initiative dedicated to ending the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases, together with Reaching the Last Mile, a portfolio of global…
Our “Employee Spotlight” series profiles employees at the END Fund. The series is part of an initiative to provide transparency and share the important work that our employees are doing to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Stay tuned as we roll out new spotlights. Click to learn more about the series. Irene Chami is a…
My name is Yak Yak Bol and I used to evacuate the wounded. My job consisted of evacuating wounded people to the orthopedic hospital that was established by the ICRC in Lokichogio, located in the northern Turkana area of Kenya. At the time, the Kenyan government had allocated Lokichogio to host the biggest refugee camp…
By Henry Rosenbloom In the serene villages of Nkalo and Maone in Southern Malawi, Sheikh Yusuf – an elder in the community – goes door-to-door delivering medication for river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis. He, like many community directed distributors (CDDs), is a volunteer, offering his time so that his community will have a healthier…
