World Music Star Youssou N'Dour Establishes Fund At IntraHealth

Grammy Award winning Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour has announced a partnership with IntraHealth to promote better health in Africa.

N'Dour revealed the creation of the Youssou N'Dour Fund at the United Nations on March 29 at the US premiere of the film Africa Live. The film documents the two-day concert by African music superstars staged by N'Dour in Dakar, Senegal, in 2005 to support the Roll Back Malaria campaign.

Through the Fund, N'Dour will continue his work to promote malaria prevention and collaborate with IntraHealth on other projects to improve the health of vulnerable African women and their families.

"I have been blessed with many gifts," said N'Dour. "I want to use my voice and my celebrity to give back to the communities that have supported me. I am making a renewed commitment to use my influence in the fight against illness and poverty in Africa. I believe this is my duty, as it is the duty of all Africans."

Activities supported by the Youssou N'Dour Fund will be implemented by IntraHealth and overseen by IntraHealth President Pape A. Gaye, also a native of Dakar, Senegal. Gaye and N'Dour became acquainted last year and together conceived of the Fund.

"Youssou and I share a vision for bringing better health to people in need," said Gaye. "And I too believe that influential African men and women must make their voices heard. We appreciate the commitment of the Bonos and the Bill Gates' of this world, and Africans also must step up to this responsibility."

To generate resources for the Fund, N'Dour will give concerts and sponsor other events, and will reach out to friends in the entertainment and recording industries to support projects such as:

• Protecting women and newborns from malaria
• Making emergency birth and newborn care more available
• Increasing access to family planning
• Ending female genital cutting
• Reducing gender-related barriers in women's access to health care.