The European Foundations Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD) is a response from five European Foundations – Cariplo, Gulbenkian, Merieux, Nuffield and Volkswagen – to tackling the ill health and impoverishment caused by a group of 17 infectious diseases. These neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect more than one billion people worldwide, mainly in Africa and mostly living in extreme poverty. Beyond their negative impact on health, NTDs contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty and stigma that leaves its victims unable to work, go to school or participate in family and community life.