At the 2023 Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Forum during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), global donors pledged $777.2m to help control, eliminate and eradicate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
The funding will accelerate progress towards achieving the goals outlined in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 roadmap on NTDs.
The forum, hosted by RLM in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, comprised over 450 government ministers, global health leaders and development experts, philanthropists and civil society leaders to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis on human health.
Established in 2020, WHO’s roadmap for NTDs includes eliminating at least one NTD in 100 countries by 2030 and reducing the number of people requiring NTD treatment by 90%.
Despite progress, climate change has slowed the reach and prevalence of infectious diseases.
NTDs are a diverse group of several parasitic viral, bacterial, fungal and non-communicable diseases that can lead to serious illness.
RLM and the Gates Foundation, as well as global partners, joined to announce the expansion of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF) from $100m to $500m.
Other donors include Sierra Leone, the Carter Center, Sightsavers, the Children’s Investment Foundation Fund and Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, which further contributed to ensuring over 350 million people no longer require treatment for these diseases by 2030.
Thanks to the expansion, the fund will now reach an additional 32 countries across Africa and Yemen.
First launched in 2017 to establish a model for combating the two NTD diseases, lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, in sub-Saharan Africa, the RLMF has provided over 100 million treatments, trained 1.3 million health workers and established nine laboratories to support the surveillance of NTDs and testing.
The new commitments will help to finance essential programmes and treatments, support research and innovation, and enhance health systems and workforces worldwide.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO, said: “This commitment is a significant stride towards eradicating, eliminating and controlling NTDs, aligning seamlessly with the 2021 [to] 2030 NTD road map.
“This partnership… represents a beacon of hope and a testament to what can be achieved through united global action.”