Category: Media coverage

Chad’s Ministry of Health, with support from the Reaching the Last Mile Fund and implementation assistance from The Carter Center, distributed medicine to stop transmission of two neglected tropical diseases: river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

River blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, causes intense itching, skin discoloration, and eye disease that can lead to permanent blindness. Lymphatic filariasis causes severe swelling of limbs that—if untreated—becomes permanent and hardens the skin.

The four-day effort saw teams traveling from community to community to bring Mectizan, donated by Merck & Co. Inc., and albendazole, donated by GSK, to nearly 3 million people living in 29 districts across the country.

The successful mass drug administration reflects the shared ambition of Chad, RLMF, and The Carter Center to combat these devastating diseases, and it brings Chad one step closer to the ultimate goal: elimination.

At the 78th World Health Assembly, a Devex-hosted roundtable brought together global health leaders to explore how innovative financing mechanisms are accelerating progress against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The discussion focused on how pooled funding is helping to de-risk innovation, overcome chronic underinvestment in NTDs, and mobilize new sources of support.

A key highlight was the impact of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund, which has become a leading example of how strategic partnerships and collaborative financing can deliver tangible results in NTD elimination efforts.