Emily Blunt and Priyanka Chopra among celebrities who joined END7 campaign VIDEO
In a new video released Tuesday, six international artists call upon their fans to support the END7 campaign, an international advocacy campaign that seeks to raise the awareness and funding necessary to control and eliminate the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2020, according to a Global Network press release Tuesday.
The video shows the international stars reaction to the seven most common NTDs—hookworm, ascariasis (roundworm), trichuriasis (whipworm), schistosomiasis (snail fever), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), onchocerciasis (river blindness) and trachoma, that infect some 1 billion people globally.
The video titled, “How to Shock a Celebrity” features British actress Emily Blunt from Devil Wears Prada, Les Misérables star Eddie Redmayne, “Draco Malfoy” actor Tom Felton, South African pop star Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Tom Hollander of Pirates of the Caribbean and Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra.
Until recently, I didn’t even know these diseases existed,” said actress Emily Blunt. “The serious disabilities and suffering they inflict on the world’s poorest people is heart-wrenching. But I was inspired to join the END7 campaign because, for once, the solution is simple and available now. And the cost for treatment is so low that almost anyone can make a big difference by giving just a few cents.”
“These diseases are very real, even if people are not talking about them” said Yvonne Chaka Chaka. “Africa carries 50 percent of the global NTD burden, and I’ve seen their impact first hand. The END7 campaign is sparking a global movement to end these diseases.”
VIDEO: Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes joins END7 campaign
“In India alone, nearly 700 million people are at risk for elephantiasis and more than 200 million children are at risk for worm infections,” said Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra. “Through the END7 campaign, we can offer a solution that will change the lives of millions of people living in poverty in Asia and around the world. I am proud to be a part of the global effort to end these diseases.”
The seven most common NTDs infect more than one in six people worldwide, including more than 500 million children. They cause blindness, massive swelling in appendages and limbs, severe malnutrition and anemia. NTDs prevent children from growing and learning. They reduce adults’ economic productivity and ability to care for their families, keeping communities trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease.
END7 is run by the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, an initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute.
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[…] diseases that plague more than 1 billion people around the world, including 500 million children.Emily Blunt and Priyanka Chopra among celebrities who joined END7 campaign …The Global […]