The End Fund has announced a three-year, $22.5 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust in support of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), a 10-year, multi-donor fund dedicated to eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. 

Established at the End Fund by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, RLMF will use the grant to accelerate treatment and elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (LF) in three countries with significant disease burden. NTDs affect more than 1.7 billion people—often those living in remote, under-resourced communities without access to basic needs such as clean water. They also contribute to the loss of billions of dollars every year in countries where they are endemic, due to disability, decreased productivity, and caretaker burden. 

“The Helmsley Charitable Trust is focused on ensuring the well-being of vulnerable children and their families in Africa, and we know that building resilience and strengthening health services are critical pathways to achieve this,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “Through our investment in the Reaching the Last Mile Fund, we are proud to join a network of like-minded investors to accelerate the treatment and elimination of these devastating diseases and improve the lives and livelihoods of children and families across Ethiopia and its borders.” 

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