[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] hello everyone I’m guessing you might be
hello everyone I’m guessing you might be
hello everyone I’m guessing you might be wondering why I have with me here a very
wondering why I have with me here a very
wondering why I have with me here a very large jar of intestinal roundworms
large jar of intestinal roundworms
large jar of intestinal roundworms although I am at a TED conference so
although I am at a TED conference so
although I am at a TED conference so maybe you all are used to everything I
maybe you all are used to everything I
maybe you all are used to everything I have to admit that I’ve been getting
have to admit that I’ve been getting
have to admit that I’ve been getting quite an embarrassing reputation lately
quite an embarrassing reputation lately
quite an embarrassing reputation lately since I started a CEO of the end fund
since I started a CEO of the end fund
since I started a CEO of the end fund about four years ago and we work on
about four years ago and we work on
about four years ago and we work on neglected tropical diseases I’ve been
neglected tropical diseases I’ve been
neglected tropical diseases I’ve been getting a reputation for talking about
getting a reputation for talking about
getting a reputation for talking about worms a lot and sort of everywhere at
worms a lot and sort of everywhere at
worms a lot and sort of everywhere at breakfast meetings at dinner parties on
breakfast meetings at dinner parties on
breakfast meetings at dinner parties on airplanes next to people next to trains
airplanes next to people next to trains
airplanes next to people next to trains oftentimes I’ll I have a small jar of
oftentimes I’ll I have a small jar of
oftentimes I’ll I have a small jar of worms not this big but a couple of worms
worms not this big but a couple of worms
worms not this big but a couple of worms and I’ll pull them out and point to
and I’ll pull them out and point to
and I’ll pull them out and point to people and say this do you know this is
people and say this do you know this is
people and say this do you know this is what is living inside the bellies of
what is living inside the bellies of
what is living inside the bellies of over a billion people on our planet this
over a billion people on our planet this
over a billion people on our planet this jar here represents the number of worms
jar here represents the number of worms
jar here represents the number of worms in the belly of a child with a moderate
in the belly of a child with a moderate
in the belly of a child with a moderate intestinal worm infection this is 200
intestinal worm infection this is 200
intestinal worm infection this is 200 worms it could be three hundred four
worms it could be three hundred four
worms it could be three hundred four hundred a thousand and if you put these
hundred a thousand and if you put these
hundred a thousand and if you put these end-to-end because a round worm is about
end-to-end because a round worm is about
end-to-end because a round worm is about ten inches long it would go from the
ten inches long it would go from the
ten inches long it would go from the ground all the way up past 16 story
ground all the way up past 16 story
ground all the way up past 16 story building
it’s pretty shocking I think I’m gonna
it’s pretty shocking I think I’m gonna set them down but I what I found when
set them down but I what I found when
set them down but I what I found when I’m talking around the world about worms
I’m talking around the world about worms
I’m talking around the world about worms is that it’s not that it’s just
is that it’s not that it’s just
is that it’s not that it’s just embarrassing or gross but the worms have
embarrassing or gross but the worms have
embarrassing or gross but the worms have a story to tell there really are a
a story to tell there really are a
a story to tell there really are a billion people living with severe
billion people living with severe
billion people living with severe intestinal worm infections and even
intestinal worm infections and even
intestinal worm infections and even though sometimes I recently was in Dubai
though sometimes I recently was in Dubai
though sometimes I recently was in Dubai and knocked on one of our investors door
and knocked on one of our investors door
and knocked on one of our investors door and her son eight-year-old son came to
and her son eight-year-old son came to
and her son eight-year-old son came to the door and said Oh mom ran in the
the door and said Oh mom ran in the
the door and said Oh mom ran in the house and he said mom the worm ladies
house and he said mom the worm ladies
house and he said mom the worm ladies here
here
here I was like really this is starting to
I was like really this is starting to
I was like really this is starting to get too far but there when you look at a
get too far but there when you look at a
get too far but there when you look at a jar of worms like that it’s impossible
jar of worms like that it’s impossible
jar of worms like that it’s impossible not to see that with a child with this
not to see that with a child with this
not to see that with a child with this many worms in their belly is not able to
many worms in their belly is not able to
many worms in their belly is not able to live a healthy productive full life and
live a healthy productive full life and
live a healthy productive full life and it turns out it’s not only just bad for
it turns out it’s not only just bad for
it turns out it’s not only just bad for our people’s health it’s bad for the
our people’s health it’s bad for the
our people’s health it’s bad for the economy and education as well it’s been
economy and education as well it’s been
economy and education as well it’s been shown that just deworming children can
shown that just deworming children can
shown that just deworming children can reduce school absenteeism by up to 30%
reduce school absenteeism by up to 30%
reduce school absenteeism by up to 30% and adults who in developing countries
and adults who in developing countries
and adults who in developing countries have been dewormed as adults end up
have been dewormed as adults end up
have been dewormed as adults end up making a lot higher wages and I’m not
making a lot higher wages and I’m not
making a lot higher wages and I’m not just here today to regale you about
just here today to regale you about
just here today to regale you about weren’t more amore or this wormy world
weren’t more amore or this wormy world
weren’t more amore or this wormy world but actually I have an amazing story and
but actually I have an amazing story and
but actually I have an amazing story and inspiring message to share there is a
inspiring message to share there is a
inspiring message to share there is a global movement afoot to end the
global movement afoot to end the
global movement afoot to end the neglected the neglected tropical
neglected the neglected tropical
neglected the neglected tropical diseases and the suffering caused by
diseases and the suffering caused by
diseases and the suffering caused by them really these five key diseases that
them really these five key diseases that
them really these five key diseases that affect over 1.5 billion lives globally
affect over 1.5 billion lives globally
affect over 1.5 billion lives globally it’s not just intestinal worms but it’s
it’s not just intestinal worms but it’s
it’s not just intestinal worms but it’s just a samaya cyst that kills about
just a samaya cyst that kills about
just a samaya cyst that kills about 200,000 people per year or blinding
200,000 people per year or blinding
200,000 people per year or blinding trachoma that’s causing the most painful
trachoma that’s causing the most painful
trachoma that’s causing the most painful type of blinding for millions of people
type of blinding for millions of people
type of blinding for millions of people that it doesn’t need to an elephantiasis
that it doesn’t need to an elephantiasis
that it doesn’t need to an elephantiasis which if you’ve seen pictures know how
which if you’ve seen pictures know how
which if you’ve seen pictures know how stigmatizing and painful that can be
stigmatizing and painful that can be
stigmatizing and painful that can be these aren’t diseases that have been
these aren’t diseases that have been
these aren’t diseases that have been around for a long time
around for a long time
around for a long time you see them written about in the old
you see them written about in the old
you see them written about in the old testament to go back and look on
testament to go back and look on
testament to go back and look on Egyptian tombs and their pictures on on
Egyptian tombs and their pictures on on
Egyptian tombs and their pictures on on the walls but it’s now it’s now that you
the walls but it’s now it’s now that you
the walls but it’s now it’s now that you see people coming together as a global
see people coming together as a global
see people coming together as a global coalition saying we have a plan we have
coalition saying we have a plan we have
coalition saying we have a plan we have the tools there are medicines available
the tools there are medicines available
the tools there are medicines available there are prevention messages that are
there are prevention messages that are
there are prevention messages that are clear governments have aligned around
clear governments have aligned around
clear governments have aligned around national plans to ensure that they
national plans to ensure that they
national plans to ensure that they actually can implement the strategy to
actually can implement the strategy to
actually can implement the strategy to eliminate these diseases and I’ve seen
eliminate these diseases and I’ve seen
eliminate these diseases and I’ve seen hundreds of community health workers
hundreds of community health workers
hundreds of community health workers NGOs and organizations come together to
NGOs and organizations come together to
NGOs and organizations come together to implement this plan it’s actually not
implement this plan it’s actually not
implement this plan it’s actually not just a hundreds of community health
just a hundreds of community health
just a hundreds of community health workers there we at the end fund
workers there we at the end fund
workers there we at the end fund we’re just looking in the last four
we’re just looking in the last four
we’re just looking in the last four years we’ve helped train over 400 over
years we’ve helped train over 400 over
years we’ve helped train over 400 over 200,000 community health workers and
200,000 community health workers and
200,000 community health workers and some of the most rural areas in the
some of the most rural areas in the
some of the most rural areas in the world to see an end of these diseases
world to see an end of these diseases
world to see an end of these diseases and I’m while I am incredibly excited
and I’m while I am incredibly excited
and I’m while I am incredibly excited I’m also not naive ending diseases that
I’m also not naive ending diseases that
I’m also not naive ending diseases that end
end
end that effect a billion people is no small
that effect a billion people is no small
that effect a billion people is no small task but what I think inspires me and so
task but what I think inspires me and so
task but what I think inspires me and so many that are involved in this work is
many that are involved in this work is
many that are involved in this work is the enormity of the task it is bigger
the enormity of the task it is bigger
the enormity of the task it is bigger than any one of us it’s bigger than one
than any one of us it’s bigger than one
than any one of us it’s bigger than one NGO one government one ministry it’s
NGO one government one ministry it’s
NGO one government one ministry it’s something that you have to leave your
something that you have to leave your
something that you have to leave your egos and your logos aside you have to
egos and your logos aside you have to
egos and your logos aside you have to humble yourself to a higher cause and
humble yourself to a higher cause and
humble yourself to a higher cause and amazingly if you look at this little
amazingly if you look at this little
amazingly if you look at this little girl here she’s one I met her outside of
girl here she’s one I met her outside of
girl here she’s one I met her outside of Nairobi Kenya recently it was part of a
Nairobi Kenya recently it was part of a
Nairobi Kenya recently it was part of a deworming day at her school just a few
deworming day at her school just a few
deworming day at her school just a few years ago they didn’t have a
years ago they didn’t have a
years ago they didn’t have a school-based deworming program in Kenya
school-based deworming program in Kenya
school-based deworming program in Kenya but after the government saw the
but after the government saw the
but after the government saw the evidence of how much good it could do
evidence of how much good it could do
evidence of how much good it could do they said okay let’s start a few schools
they said okay let’s start a few schools
they said okay let’s start a few schools a few districts this particular day all
a few districts this particular day all
a few districts this particular day all the children were lined up in the
the children were lined up in the
the children were lined up in the schoolyard washing their hands getting
schoolyard washing their hands getting
schoolyard washing their hands getting measured taking medicines for
measured taking medicines for
measured taking medicines for schistosomiasis and intestinal worms and
schistosomiasis and intestinal worms and
schistosomiasis and intestinal worms and it was incredible that principals and
it was incredible that principals and
it was incredible that principals and the teachers were saying listen even in
the teachers were saying listen even in
the teachers were saying listen even in the few years that we’ve had this
the few years that we’ve had this
the few years that we’ve had this program there you can see that kids are
program there you can see that kids are
program there you can see that kids are healthier there’s less school
healthier there’s less school
healthier there’s less school absenteeism they’re less and knee mix or
absenteeism they’re less and knee mix or
absenteeism they’re less and knee mix or they’re able to focus better in school
they’re able to focus better in school
they’re able to focus better in school and that was just one school in that
and that was just one school in that
and that was just one school in that particular week that was going on in
particular week that was going on in
particular week that was going on in thousands of schools across Kenya and
thousands of schools across Kenya and
thousands of schools across Kenya and over six million kids got treatment a
over six million kids got treatment a
over six million kids got treatment a few years ago we helped launch a program
few years ago we helped launch a program
few years ago we helped launch a program in Ethiopia where now this year over
in Ethiopia where now this year over
in Ethiopia where now this year over twenty million kids will be served and
twenty million kids will be served and
twenty million kids will be served and in India in one single day they launched
in India in one single day they launched
in India in one single day they launched a national deworming day over 200
a national deworming day over 200
a national deworming day over 200 million kids got helped and we just got
million kids got helped and we just got
million kids got helped and we just got the data in from 2015 and as a global
the data in from 2015 and as a global
the data in from 2015 and as a global coalition of all of these governments
coalition of all of these governments
coalition of all of these governments and organizations working toward a
and organizations working toward a
and organizations working toward a common goal we were able to treat almost
common goal we were able to treat almost
common goal we were able to treat almost 1 billion people for the diseases
for me I think it’s something that’s
for me I think it’s something that’s like one of the best-kept good-news
like one of the best-kept good-news
like one of the best-kept good-news secrets out there it’s an example of
secrets out there it’s an example of
secrets out there it’s an example of global collaboration that I think a lot
global collaboration that I think a lot
global collaboration that I think a lot of us could learn from we’re not done
of us could learn from we’re not done
of us could learn from we’re not done there’s a lot of room for others to to
there’s a lot of room for others to to
there’s a lot of room for others to to engage and I think what I want to ask in
engage and I think what I want to ask in
engage and I think what I want to ask in addition to sharing this good news story
addition to sharing this good news story
addition to sharing this good news story please not applaud for me but if you
please not applaud for me but if you
please not applaud for me but if you could close your eyes for a moment and
could close your eyes for a moment and
could close your eyes for a moment and imagine if you were a community health
imagine if you were a community health
imagine if you were a community health worker working in a rural village where
worker working in a rural village where
worker working in a rural village where in order to get treatment you were in a
in order to get treatment you were in a
in order to get treatment you were in a place with no electricity no water no
place with no electricity no water no
place with no electricity no water no roads most people that don’t have shoes
roads most people that don’t have shoes
roads most people that don’t have shoes and you are making sure to go door to
and you are making sure to go door to
and you are making sure to go door to door school to school clinic to clinic
door school to school clinic to clinic
door school to school clinic to clinic and realize we have a force and army of
and realize we have a force and army of
and realize we have a force and army of these rural community health workers
these rural community health workers
these rural community health workers that are making treatment happen for
that are making treatment happen for
that are making treatment happen for this almost billion people every year
this almost billion people every year
this almost billion people every year and please give the applaud to them
and please give the applaud to them
and please give the applaud to them [Music]
”
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