Unlimit Health (previously known as SCI Foundation and as the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative) is an international organisation working to end parasitic disease. The organisation partners with affected countries, sharing evidence and expertise to eliminate preventable infections, through technical and financial support to ministries of health, in line with their strategies and plans, to strengthen health systems within affected communities. Unlimit Health’s area of focus is the elimination of

schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever is a neglected tropical helminthiasis, disease caused by parasitism, parasitic Schistosoma, flatworms called schistosomes. It affects both humans and animals. It affects ...

and soil-transmitted helminthiases (intestinal worms).

Parasitic worm Parasitic worms, also known as helminths, are a polyphyletic group of large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract. Other par ...

s can have a hugely detrimental effect on individuals, including reduced productivity, internal organ damage, impaired child development, reduced school attendance, increased risk of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

in women and infertility. Unlimit Health engages in global and regional forums that aim to tackle parasitic infections, providing technical expertise to global bodies such as the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

(WHO). It has been granted the status of Independent Research Organisation (IRO) by

UK Research and Innovation UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology ...

(UKRI), the UK body responsible for supporting research, knowledge exchange and innovation. The organisation’s strategy 2023–2028 is aligned with the three pillars of the WHO road map for

neglected tropical diseases Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteri ...

, enabling a stronger focus on programmatic action, cross-cutting approaches, and country ownership. __TOC__

History

The organisation was founded in 2002 by Professor Alan Fenwick OBE with a £20m grant from the

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be List of wealthiest charitable foundations, the third largest char ...

, and started life as a research group, the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, within

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

under the leadership of Professor Fenwick and Professor Joanne Webster as co-directors. The grant allowed them to provide a proof-of-concept for national-scale schistosomiasis programmes. Consistently ranked globally as one of the most cost-effective non-profit initiatives, the organisation has received significant funding since its inception including from the

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...

(formerly the UK Department of International Development (DFID)),

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

and philanthropic investors. In 2006, the SCI was a founding partner of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, which promoted integration of control or elimination programmes against seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). By 2007, the SCI had facilitated delivery of approximately 40 million treatments of

praziquantel Praziquantel, sold under the brandname Biltricide among others, is a medication used to treat a number of types of parasitic worm infections in mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. In humans specifically, it is used to treat schist ...

against schistosomiasis, and many more deworming doses of

albendazole Albendazole is a broad-spectrum antihelmintic and antiprotozoal agent of the benzimidazole type. It is used for the treatment of a variety of intestinal parasite infections, including ascariasis, pinworm infection, hookworm infection, trichuri ...

. In 2010, SCI expanded its reach after the award of the management of ICOSA - a programme funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). In April 2013, SCI announced that it had facilitated delivery of its 100 millionth treatment of praziquantel against schistosomiasis thanks to funding from private donations which complemented the ICOSA award from DFID. By 2016, SCI had reached an annual delivery of over 50 million treatments against parasitic worm infections. By December 2018, the SCI had facilitated the delivery of its 200 millionth treatment against parasitic worm infections. In August 2019, SCI became an independent charity, SCI Foundation. In 2020, SCI foundation delivered 61.5 million treatments in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and was recommended as a top charity by GiveWell for the 10th consecutive year. In 2022, SCI Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary and supporting the delivery of one billion treatments for parasitic worm infections. It was also awarded the status of Independent Research Organisation (IRO) by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK body responsible for supporting research, knowledge exchange and innovation. In 2023, SCI Foundation launched a new five-year strategy and rebranded to Unlimit Health.

References

{{Authority control Public health organizations Organizations established in 2002 Tropical diseases International medical and health organizations Imperial College Faculty of Medicine Organizations associated with effective altruism