Reaching the Last Mile joined with the Gates Foundation and global partners to announce expansion of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF) from $100M to $500M. It will increase the reach of the fund from seven countries to 39 across Africa and Yemen, with the goal of eliminating two NTDs
Global donors at 2023 Reaching the Last Mile Forum pledged a collective US$777.2 million to help control, eliminate, and eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), to accelerate progress towards achieving the goals outlined in the World Health Organization’s 2030 roadmap on NTDs.
Uniting efforts with NTD-endemic countries, donors answered the urgent call to step up the fight against NTDs in the face of climate change, and to work together to improve the lives of the 1.6 billion people worldwide affected by these devastating yet preventable diseases.
The pledging event was hosted by Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), the global health initiative driven by the philanthropy of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The forum took place on the first ever Health Day during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, UAE, was joined by world leaders including H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania; and H.E. Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone, in a demonstration of endemic country leadership against NTDs.
Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Office of Development Affairs at the UAE’s Presidential Court, which oversees Reaching the Last Mile, were also in attendance, alongside global health leaders.
Reaching the Last Mile joined with the Gates Foundation and global partners to announce expansion of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF) from $100M to $500M. It will increase the reach of the fund from seven countries to 39 across Africa and Yemen, with the goal of eliminating two NTDs, lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness), from the continent of Africa.
Gates mentioned, “Climate change is inextricably linked to poverty and diseases affecting millions. That is why funding for lifesaving healthcare is critical and why we’re joining global partners to build on the tremendous progress of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund to date, and accelerate the elimination of LF and river blindness across Africa and beyond.”
Reaching the Last Mile’s new $100m commitment, matching the Gates Foundation’s $100m commitment, represents a five-fold increase over the contributions made, respectively, to the fund at its launch. Further contributions from country and donor partners including Sierra Leone, the Carter Center, Sightsavers, the Children’s Investment Foundation Fund (CIFF), The Helmsley Charitable Trust, the END Fund, and Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company will see RLMF significantly broaden its scope, with the aim of ensuring over 350 million people no longer require treatment for these diseases by 2030.
The wider pledging moment saw new, multimillion-dollar commitments made by organizations including the Anesvad Foundation, CIFF, USAID, Global Health EDCTP3, UBS Optimus Foundation, NALA Foundation, Evidence Action, Helen Keller Intl, and the Fred Hollows Foundation, in addition to the governments of Germany and Belgium.
These pledges will help close the funding gap needed to expedite progress towards the WHO roadmap targets which call for at least 100 countries to have eliminated at least one NTD by 2030, and to reduce by 90% the number of people requiring treatment for NTDs. To date, 50 countries have eliminated at least one NTD and 600 million people no longer require treatment. Cases of some diseases that have plagued communities for centuries, such as Guinea worm disease and sleeping sickness, are at an all-time low.
However, climate change is affecting the reach and prevalence of infectious diseases like NTDs, threatening to erase elimination gains and stall future progress. The commitments will help finance essential programs and treatments, support new research and innovations, and strengthen frontline health systems and workforces, among other investments.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization said, “In light of the pledges made today at the 2023 Reaching the Last Mile Forum, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the global community, especially the pivotal leadership role of the United Arab Emirates, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“This commitment is a significant stride towards eradicating, eliminating, and controlling NTDs, aligning seamlessly with the 2021- 2030 NTD road map. 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. This partnership, especially in the face of challenges posed by climate change, represents a beacon of hope and a testament to what can be achieved through united global action.”