Alyssa Milano Named Founding Ambassador of Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control.

Milano Teams with Sabin Vaccine Institute to Raise Awareness of Neglected Tropical Diseases and Pledges $250,000 to Provide Treatment to Millions

WASHINGTON -- The Sabin Vaccine Institute, a leader in the fight against "diseases of poverty," announced today that actress Alyssa Milano has been named the founding ambassador of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control (GLOBAL NETWORK). The GLOBAL NETWORK, based at the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., is comprised of the major global health partnerships devoted to the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). In her role as ambassador, Milano will work to raise the profile of NTDs by educating the media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people afflicted by them and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.

NTDs are 13 chronic and disabling bacterial and parasitic infections known as "diseases of poverty." They afflict the "poorest of the poor" - one billion people living on less than $2 per day in the most impoverished areas of the developing world. The GLOBAL NETWORK is pioneering the integrated use of donated drugs - combined into a "rapid impact package" - to combat the seven most common NTDs. This integrated platform is already regarded as a model for global disease control.

In her first act as founding ambassador, Milano has personally pledged $250,000 over five years towards the purchase of safe, effective and inexpensive drugs to combat NTDs. The GLOBAL NETWORK and its partnering organizations will use Milano's first-year donation for a full-scale implementation program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation where LF is extremely prevalent. Specifically, 12 million tablets of DEC, which is part of the "rapid impact package," will be purchased to treat 4 million individuals. Her donation has spurred a matching grant, which will double its reach to 8 million individuals in total.

"Words cannot fully express the devastation and horror caused by NTDs," said Milano. "Until now, these 'diseases of poverty' have been hidden in the shadows. Working closely with the GLOBAL NETWORK, I will do all I can to bring this tragedy into the public eye."

Milano, an active philanthropist, was introduced to the GLOBAL NETWORK through her involvement with the Clinton Global Initiative. Upon hearing a panel discussion on NTDs, which included former President Jimmy Carter and Sabin Vaccine Institute President and GLOBAL NETWORK Co-Founder, Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., she pledged to dedicate time, effort and funds to promote advocacy, policy and partnerships in the global fight against NTDs.

"NTDs are a global health epidemic that must be addressed now," said Hotez. "We are deeply indebted to Alyssa for getting involved in the fight against NTDs. She will play a key role in raising awareness of this critical issue and supporting our 'call to action' to eliminate NTDs."

The Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, a founding member of the GLOBAL NETWORK, will coordinate the acquisition of medicine for this project. According to Professor David Molyneux, "Ms. Milano's generous support will not only benefit those currently suffering from LF, but will prevent further disease in children, thereby protecting future generations from the deformity and disability it causes." Prof. Molyneux is Executive Secretary, GAELF Executive Group and Professor of Tropical Health Sciences, University of Liverpool.

The announcement of Milano as the GLOBAL NETWORK's founding ambassador follows the awarding in March of an $8.9 million dollar grant via Geneva Global Inc., a philanthropic investment advisory firm, to fund a "rapid impact" campaign to control and eliminate NTDs in Rwanda and Burundi.

Joining the Fight Against NTDs

Funding is needed to distribute drugs to control NTDs and to develop vaccines to prevent them. You can help by making a secure, online, tax-deductible donation at www.gnntdc.org and clicking the "Becoming Involved" option.

About NTDs

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are poverty-perpetuating, disabling and disfiguring, parasitic and bacterial infections--such as hookworm infection, schistosomiasis, river blindness and elephantiasis--that afflict one billion people in the developing world. These diseases contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty, stigmatization and death, leaving millions unable to work or participate in family or community life. Despite their pervasiveness, NTDs are often overshadowed, in terms of visibility and resource commitment, by the "Big Three" - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Video footage of NTDs can be viewed on the homepage of the GLOBAL NETWORK web site at www.gnntdc.org.

About Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano, a noted actress and humanitarian, has spent most of her life as an entertainer, having appeared on such major television programs as "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed." Since 2003, she has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, where she participates in multiple UNICEF-sponsored programs. Milano has been honored with a humanitarian award from Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations. She also was the recipient of The John Wayne Cancer Institute's 2004 Spirit of Hollywood Award, for her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.

About GLOBAL NETWORK

The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control (GLOBAL NETWORK) (www.gnntdc.org), based at the Sabin Vaccine Institute (www.sabin.org) in Washington, D.C., was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative. The GLOBAL NETWORK is facilitating the assault on NTDs with a dual approach: short-term NTD treatment via a five-year "rapid impact" program and long-term research to eliminate these diseases. The GLOBAL NETWORK is comprised of the major NTD public-private partnerships, including the: Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Imperial College of London; International Trachoma Initiative; Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; The Task Force for Child Survival and Development; Helen Keller International and The Earth Institute, Columbia University.