'Malaria No More', ‘Reaching the Last Mile’ announce expansion of climate and health initiative with new $5 mln grant
ABU DHABI. KAZINFORM H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council, witnessed the Malaria No More (MNM) announcement of the expansion of its climate and health initiative, Forecasting Healthy Futures (FHF), through a new three-year, US$5 million award from the Reaching the Last Mile initiative (RLM).
FHF is a consortium of leading health and technology organisations working to prevent the effects of climate change from hindering progress toward disease elimination. Launched in 2020 through seed funding provided by Reaching the Last Mile Initiative, FHF is at the forefront of these climate-informed malaria elimination efforts, WAM reports.
By developing sophisticated prediction and planning tools, as well as designing supportive policies to help governments implement them, health interventions are timed and targeted more effectively.
The expanded partnership was signed by Nassar Al Mubarak, representing Reaching the Last Mile; Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More, and Professor Dr. Eric Xing, President of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
H.H. Sheikh Theyab commented, «We are proud to be offering our renewed commitment to Forecasting Healthy Futures, and hope that this marks another milestone in the UAE’s long-standing fight against preventable diseases, which started decades ago with our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.»
«Today, under the guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we continue to work hand-in-hand with key players in the field of global health, through meaningful partnerships that create real impact whilst upholding our values of helping those in need and empowering people to live healthier and more dignified lives.
«We celebrate with great optimism the new heights and potential to reach together. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the FHF team and its partners, supported by our world-class university partners at MBZUAI, we look forward to eradicating this disease and moving closer to a malaria-free world.»
Malaria, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, devastates families and perpetuates the cycle of poverty in many communities and countries. According to the recently launched World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Malaria Report 2021, malaria caused an estimated 247 million cases and over 619,000 deaths. Three out of four deaths were children under five years old.