Buruli Ulcer Foundation

McCord Research, founded by Drs. Darlene and James McCord, initiated the Buruli Ulcer Foundation in 2008 to help eliminate the human suffering caused by a skin disease known as the Buruli ulcer. The disease is easily and inexpensively treatable if addressed in its early stages. But left untreated, it can cause terrible open sores, disability and even death. What’s more, the disease strikes mostly children, with more than 70 percent of the victims being under the age of 15, and it carries an unfortunate social stigma in many of the countries where it’s most prevalent.

The Buruli Ulcer Project is working to fight this disease on three important fronts:

Treatment – Children suffering from the Buruli ulcer can be successfully treated for less than $15 if the ulcer is diagnosed in the early stages. Find out more.

Research – The McCord Research Foundation is pleased to fund the work of The Merritt Lab at Michigan State University, as they investigate possible links between biting aquatic insects and the transmission of the Buruli ulcer in West Africa. Funding is also provided to the Pamela Small Lab at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Small is a microbiologist working on research that will provide information that may lead to a cure.

Fundraising – McCord Research is launching a fun and innovative campaign called Pennies Have Power® to involve schoolchildren across the United States and in many countries around the world. The school children will learn about the children that are stricken with the Buruli ulcer and then be given the opportunity to raise funds to help fight the Buruli ulcer and help the children that need our help.

It's simple and inexpensive to eliminate the lifetime of suffering caused by the Buruli ulcer. And the Buruli Ulcer Foundation is working to make that happen.