His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan launches “Reaching the Last Mile Fund” to raise $100 million. Press Release, The End Fund, November 2017.
The Fund was launched during the global health forum, Reaching the Last Mile: Together to Eliminate Infectious Diseases, held in Abu Dhabi. His Highness committed US$20 million to the Fund, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute up to US$20 million. The Fund will be managed by the END Fund, a philanthropic investment platform focused on tackling the five most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
The aim of this 10-year Fund is to support the elimination of two debilitating and preventable neglected diseases: river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic filariasis (which can lead to elephantiasis).