ADNIC pledges AED1.5 million to support Reach campaign's efforts against Neglected Tropical Diseases

ABU DHABI, 20th June, 2023 (WAM) -- Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) has pledged AED1.5 million to the UAE-based Reach campaign in support of its efforts to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

The commitment, which will be delivered over three years, was announced on Monday in a signing ceremony hosted at ADNIC’s headquarters, attended by the officials of both organisations.

The funds will be directed to the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), an ambitious multi-donor initiative to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in the Sahel region.

The donation will support preventative treatment and technical activities in the seven countries the RLMF supports: Mali, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

Charalampos Mylonas, CEO of ADNIC, said the partnership reaffirmed ADNIC’s deep-rooted dedication to philanthropy and making a positive impact within its communities.

"ADNIC firmly believes in the power of collective action and the transformative potential of giving back to create a meaningful impact on communities, which aligns with the company's strategy of supporting sustainability, both at home and abroad,” he said. “We are proud to collaborate with an initiative that is held in high regard, and we remain committed to addressing the pressing needs of communities at risk of NTDs.”

Nassar Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Reach campaign, said, “We are grateful to ADNIC for their generous donation and inspired by their ongoing commitment to improving the lives and livelihoods of people in some of the world’s most impoverished regions. The elimination of NTDs is not only achievable, but possible within our lifetimes. Partnerships such as these are critical to help ensure we reach the finish line and end the cycle of pain, poverty, and social exclusion that NTDs cause.”

NTDs affect 1 in 5 people worldwide, including 1 billion children. These diseases debilitate, disfigure and can be fatal, but they are all preventable and treatable. By most commonly affecting vulnerable and marginalised populations, NTDs contribute to intergenerational poverty and cost developing nations billions of dollars annually.

More than 200 million people worldwide require treatment for river blindness, while an estimated 850 million people are at risk of lymphatic filariasis. Nearly 40% of the global NTD burden is shouldered by Africa.

The Reach campaign is a UAE-based fundraising initiative that raises donations and awareness to eliminate NTDs, with all proceeds going towards the RLMF. Since its launch, the RLMF has delivered more than 90 million preventative treatments, trained more than 970,000 health workers, and funded more than 2,500 surgeries to prevent long-term disability.