Under the Big Tree, Ellen Agler
Under the Big Tree, Ellen Agler
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Under the Big Tree
Extraordinary Stories from the Movement to End Neglected Tropical Diseases

Author: Ellen Agler, Mojie Crigler, Bill Gates

Narrator: Coleen Marlo

Unabridged: 5 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/29/2019


Synopsis

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over one billion of the world's poorest people. More than 170,000 people die from NTDs each year, and many more suffer from blindness, disability, disfigurement, cognitive impairment, and stunted growth. Yet NTDs are treatable and preventable, and the annual cost of treatment is incredibly low.

In Under the Big Tree, public health leader Ellen Agler and award-winning writer Mojie Crigler tell the moving stories of those struggling with these diseases and the life-saving work that can be—and has been—done to combat these NTDs. They introduce listeners to people from all walks of life—from car washers in Lake Victoria and surgeons on motorbikes to under-resourced local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and Big Pharma scientists—as they chronicle what has been called the largest public health program in the world.

On the one hand, the solutions are simple: deliver medication to people who need it and leverage local systems to offer prevention, treatment, and education. On the other hand, solutions are complex: navigating local and national politics, delivering treatment to some of the most remote, vulnerable communities, and coordinating global and local donors, international NGOs, thousands of health workers, and millions of citizens.


About Ellen Agler

Ellen Agler is the Chief Executive Officer of the END Fund and the author of Under the Big Tree: Extraordinary Stories from the Movement to End Neglected Tropical Diseases. Ellen holds graduate degrees in international health from the Harvard School of Public Health, with a focus on humanitarian affairs, and in development studies from the London School of Economics, with a focus on non-profit management and child rights. She has completed postgraduate studies in conflict resolution at Universidad de Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Clare on May 07, 2020

This book focuses on five major tropical diseases (including parasites) which, unlike HIV and malaria, haven't had such a high profile. Having said that, the Sunday Times has done a good job over the years of informing me about Ghanian river blindness, Guinea worm and more. This book doesn't address......more

Goodreads review by Clinton on January 31, 2019

A thoughtful and inspiring account of a vital public health mission! When was the last time you thought about neglected tropical diseases? If you are like me, it was never. Not until I read this book, that is. I was deeply moved by this fascinating and life-affirming book by an author who is passionat......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on November 16, 2022

Under the Big Tree is a non-fiction of where treatment for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) stands in the period of 2000 to 2020, particularly in the underdeveloped countries of the world. It is a compendium of fascinating and heroic stories of people finding the funding for the medical treatments......more

Goodreads review by Tristan on May 12, 2019

Really interesting book which gives the perspective of donors in funding Neglected tropical disease. It takes a case study approach to show the incredible progress which has been made. The book teaches you more than you want to know about intestinal worms. My only criticism would be it takes an overl......more