SCI Foundation publishes its first ever independent annual report

The report details SCI Foundation’s activities and progress since becoming an independent organisation.

During the reporting period ending in March 2020, SCI Foundation worked with Ministries of Health in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to reach 48 million people with a total of 61.5 million treatments for schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.

This includes support for the delivery of over 48.2 million treatments for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis to school-aged children and adolescents at highest risk of infection.

SCI Foundation completed its transformation from being hosted within Imperial College London into an independent, accountable and effective organisation. It has appointed a new Board of Trustees, optimised its governance structure and further expanded its team of experts.

In addition, SCI Foundation successfully supported nine country partners in completing 18 surveys that assess impact and provide crucial data on progress made by the disease control programmes. It also began implementation of the UK Aid flagship neglected tropical diseases programme, Ascend, in 13 countries in West and Central Africa in partnership with Sightsavers, Mott MacDonald and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Speaking about the launch of the Annual Report 2019 (***link***), Wendy Harrison, CEO, SCI Foundation, said:

“SCI Foundation has demonstrated significant progress in delivering our mission to prevent and treat neglected infectious diseases through comprehensive and impactful health programmes.

It is gratifying to be able to report on progress and to continue to support the delivery of evidence-based, cost- effective programmes and solid monitoring and evaluation, allowing continued improvement. 

I have been consistently encouraged and inspired by the professionalism and level of commitment of the SCI Foundation team and our Ministry of Health colleagues especially at this time of unprecedented uncertainty.”

Whilst the reporting period ended just before the COVID-19 pandemic, at the time of publication programmes are starting to resume delivery. Nonetheless, the pandemic continues to put progress at risk and SCI Foundation will be monitoring its implications carefully.

Looking to the future, SCI Foundation is ready to make its programmes even more effective and comprehensive by growing its emphasis on cross sectoral  engagement with veterinary public health and WASH stakeholders and by embedding an equity-driven approach in all its work to ensure no one is left behind.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Professor the Lord Trees said:

““In an increasingly challenging environment the SCI Foundation has successfully established itself in the last year as an independent charitable foundation, and has continued to deliver its mission to better the health of disadvantaged communities across the world, despite the inevitable limitations of COVID-19. I would personally like to thank the continued support of our committed donors who make this work possible.”

ENDS.