Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), a portfolio of global health programs funded by the philanthropy of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, on Tuesday joined with partners and health leaders to celebrate World NTD Day, and to call for sustained investment to accelerate the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

At co-hosted events in Senegal, London and New York, RLM convened government, civil society, and global health actors to celebrate the progress made by endemic countries to date, and to reaffirm the UAE’s commitment to achieving the aims laid out in the World Health Organization’s 2030 NTD Roadmap.

Nassar Al Mubarak, CEO of Reaching the Last Mile said: “More than 1.6 billion people worldwide are affected by neglected tropical diseases, yet each one is preventable or treatable.We have the tools, knowledge and pathways to end NTDs, but keeping up the pace of progress is vital.Now is the time for us to build on the remarkable gains made to date, and to unite, act, and eliminate these diseases once and for all.”

NTDs are a diverse group of diseases that are preventable or treatable. Spread by worms and insects, these 21 diseases blind, disable and disfigure people living in some of the most remote and impoverished corners of the world, perpetuating cycles of disease, stigma and poverty.

World NTD Day takes place annually on January 30th, offering a platform to drive awareness, funding, and political will in support of ending NTDs globally.

In London, RLM partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UAE Embassy to the UK to bring together government representatives and global health advocates in a celebration of the day.

The event included a screening of ‘The Fly Collectors’, a documentary funded by RLMcapturing Senegal’s journey to the cusp of elimination of river blindness, with opening remarks shared by H.E. Mansoor Abulhoul, Ambassador of the UAE to the UK.

In New York, RLM joined with co-host the END Fund at the United Nations Headquarters to unveil a public exhibit of Reframing Neglect, a photography showcase directed by artist and activist Aïda Muluneh. Attended by H.E. Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations in New York, the event brought together voices from across the global health, arts, and philanthropy sectors to demonstrate the power of advocacy to achieve elimination goals.

In Senegal, RLM joined with the country’s Ministry of Health and civil society organizations to celebrate the nation’s incredible strides towards ending river blindness, an NTD that, if left untreated, causes disfigurement and permanent blindness.

The UAE shares a history of partnering with Senegal to combat NTDs through the Reaching the Last Mile Fund, a multi donor fund established in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.

This is a milestone year for World NTD Day. WHO targets call for 100 countries to have eliminated at least one NTD by 2030, and to reduce by 90% the number of people requiring treatment for these diseases. With 50 nations having stamped out one or more NTDs, this is a pivotal year to accelerate action.

The day comes on the heels of a landmark pledging moment held at COP28 in December, which saw global partners pledge over US$777m to help close the funding gap needed to meet elimination targets.

This included the expansion of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund from $100m to a target $500m, with the ambitious goal of eliminating two NTDs, lymphatic filariasis and river blindness, from the continent of Africa. This aim builds on the fund’s existing success, which saw it pioneer a blueprint for the elimination of the two NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Since launch, the fund has provided over 100 million treatments and trained 1.3 million health workers. It also played a part in Niger’s journey to eliminate the transmission of river blindness, a milestone once thought to be scientifically impossible in Africa.