In a historic effort to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and improve the lives of 1.6 billion people globally, partners pledged a ground-breaking US$ 777 million at the 2023 Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Forum.
The Forum, hosted by RLM, a global health initiative led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, was held during the first ever Health Day at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). This global initiative unites efforts with countries endemic for NTDs to address the impact of climate change on these diseases. The pledged funds will finance essential programmes and treatments, support research and innovation, and strengthen front-line health systems and workforces.
Key pledges
A key announcement was the expansion of the RLM Fund (RLMF) from US$ 100 million to US$ 500 million, as the outcome of a partnership between RLM, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other global actors. This expansion aims to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness) from Africa, increasing the Fund’s reach from seven to 39 countries across Africa and Yemen.
The RLMF, established in 2017 as a multi-donor fund, has made significant strides in sub-Saharan Africa, including providing over 100 million treatments, training 1.3 million health workers, and establishing nine laboratories for NTD surveillance and testing. It has played a pivotal role in interrupting transmission of river blindness in Niger and has supported Senegal in nearing this milestone.
Their Highnesses Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court, United Arab Emirates, emphasized the critical role of endemic countries in this initiative, highlighting the potential of RLMF to free African communities from the threat of NTDs. Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, linked climate change to the challenges in eliminating these diseases, underscoring the importance of the funding for healthcare and the progress of RLMF.
In addition to the new US$ 100 million commitment from both RLM and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, further contributions from various partners, including the Government of 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 enable the RLMF to impact the lives of over 350 million people by 2030.
His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, and His Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, expressed their respective countries’ commitment to eliminating NTDs and acknowledged the initiative’s significance for Africa's health and future.
The Forum also saw new commitments from organizations such as the Anesvad Foundation, CIFF, the United States Agency for International Development, Global Health EDCTP3, the UBS Optimus Foundation, the NALA Foundation, Evidence Action, Helen Keller International and the Fred Hollows Foundation, as well as the governments of Belgium and Germany.
These pledges are crucial in closing the funding gap for the WHO road map targets, which aim to eliminate at least one NTD in 100 countries and reduce by 90% the number of people needing treatment for NTDs, by 2030.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, expressed his profound gratitude to the global community and the United Arab Emirates for their unwavering dedication to eliminating NTDs. He noted that these efforts, particularly in the face of climate change challenges, represent hope and demonstrate the impact of united global action.
To date, 50 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, and 600 million people no longer require treatment. However, climate change poses a significant threat to these achievements, affecting the reach and prevalence of infectious diseases like NTDs.
The 2023 RLM Forum brought together over 450 heads of State and government, ministers, global health and development experts, philanthropists and civil society leaders, galvanizing commitments to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis on human health.