The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative has been rated as one of the top two charities for achieving impact with donations by nonprofit organisation GiveWell.

Monday 5 December 2011
By Sam Wong

The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) at Imperial College London has been rated as one of the top two charities globally for achieving impact with donations by an independent charity evaluator. The American-based non-profit organisation GiveWell rigorously examined hundreds of charities worldwide to identify which have the most impact for each dollar they receive. The Against Malaria Foundation and the SCI were found to be the two charities that allow donors to accomplish as much good as possible with their money.

The SCI was set up at Imperial in 2002 to deliver treatments for schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) to people in sub-Saharan Africa at high risk of serious disease. NTDs cause severe pain and lifelong disability, but receive little attention because they kill fewer people than Aids and malaria. Around 500 million people in Africa have two or more NTDs and need regular treatment.

GiveWell’s co-founder Holden Karnofsky explained on the organisation’s blog why their recommended charities were so highly rated. “Our top two charities are outstanding on all fronts,” he wrote. “They execute proven, cost-effective programs for helping people. They have strong track records. They have concrete future plans and room for more funding. They are transparent and accountable to donors.”

The evaluations are based on extensive research on each charity, including conversations with representatives, site visits to charities’ work in the field, and examination of internal documentation and evidence of effectiveness.

The SCI is also one of the top charities recommended by Giving What We Can, an international society whose members donate 10 per cent of their income to help the world’s poorest people.

The SCI’s Director, Professor Alan Fenwick, said: “SCI has been recognised by two organisations evaluating charities because it represents true value for money donated, and is open and transparent in its accountability. From the technical side it is focussed on the diseases of the poorest populations, and improves the quality of life particularly of children by offering cost-effective treatment in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, the World Health Organisation and most importantly the governments of the African nations. If donations increase as a result of these endorsements, we would hope to increase our coverage of treatments in the countries we work in and also assist more countries in Africa.”

For more information about the SCI’s activities including how to donate, go to imperial.ac.uk/schisto