Partners pledge $777 million to defeat neglected tropical diseases
Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), a global health initiative funded by United Arab Emirates president Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other funders, has announced commitments totaling more than $777 million to help control, eliminate, and eradicate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Announced at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum alongside the World Climate Action Summit (COP28) in Dubai, the commitments of $100 million each from RLM and the Gates Foundation, as well as pledges from the Carter Center, Sightsavers, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the END Fund, the Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, and the government of Sierra Leone totaling $500 million will enable the Reaching the Last Mile Fund—launched in 2017—to expand from seven countries to 39 across Africa and Yemen, with the aim of eliminating lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness) from the continent of Africa. Additional multimillion-dollar commitments to RLM were made by the Anesvad, UBS Optimus, NALA, and Fred Hollows foundations; CIFF, USAID, Global Health EDCTP3, Evidence Action, and Helen Keller Intl, as well as the governments of Germany and Belgium.
“Climate change is inextricably linked to poverty and diseases affecting millions,” said Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates. “That is why funding for lifesaving health care is critical.”
“This commitment is a significant stride towards eradicating, eliminating, and controlling NTDs, aligning seamlessly with the 2021-2030 NTD road map,” said World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The collaborative efforts of countries and global donors exemplify an unwavering dedication to improving the lives of the 1.6 billion people affected by these diseases.”
(Photo credit: Reaching the Last Mile)
