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ABU DHABI, 1st February, 2023 (WAM) — Landmarks across the UAE were lit up on Monday in support of the fourth World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (WNTDD), an Annual moments of tropical diseases (NTDs), a group of debilitating diseases that affect approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide.
Seventeen buildings and structures in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were lit up in waves of orange and purple (the official colors for World NTD Day) to help raise awareness of the cause and reaffirm the UAE’s commitment to eradicating these devastating diseases.
These landmarks include: Abu Dhabi City; Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM); Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC); Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Headquarters; Al Ain City; Emirates Palace; Etihad Arena; Dubai Global Village; Khalifa University; Abu Dhabi Marina Mall; Mohammed bin Rashid Library; Mubadala Headquarters; Shams Tower at Yas Marina Circuit; Sheikh Zayed Bridge and W Abu Dhabi Hotel.
NTDs are a group of preventable and treatable infectious diseases that still affect one-fifth of the world’s population, including 1 billion children. There are currently 20 diseases and disease groups defined as NTDs by the World Health Organization (WHO), including river blindness (onchocerciasis), leprosy, elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis), dracunculiasis and rabies .
NTDs cause immeasurable suffering – they can blind, debilitate, disfigure, and possibly kill. NTDs most commonly affect vulnerable and marginalized populations, creating a cycle of poverty that costs developing countries billions of dollars each year. Nearly 40% of the global NTD burden is borne by Africa.
As outlined in WHO’s NTD Roadmap to 2030, advocacy efforts such as World NTD Day are key to ensuring continued momentum towards the global goal of eliminating NTDs. World NTD Day was initiated by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2019 and officially recognized by the World Health Organization in 2020 with the support of the UAE and other committed partners.
To mark the day, Yas Marina Circuit also partnered with the Reach Campaign to host the Last Mile Walk or Ride to End Neglected Tropical Diseases and Lymphatic Filariasis. During the event, more than 900 participants came to Abu Dhabi Circuit to show their support for the day and help raise awareness about NTD and the vulnerable communities affected by it.
Participants are encouraged to walk or cycle the “last mile,” a phrase used by global health authorities to refer to those hardest-to-reach populations. These remote and rural communities are often impoverished, with little infrastructure, clean water and sanitation, the last and hardest mile of disease elimination.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), which aims to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in 2017 and supported by organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Charitable Foundation and Helmsley Charitable Trust, RLMF is A 10-year, $100 million initiative hosted by a leading END Fund philanthropic vehicle dedicated to ending neglected tropical diseases.
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