Abu Dhabi’s best-known landmarks were lit up on Saturday night to put the spotlight on the global fight against tropical diseases.
The capital’s Adnoc headquarters, W Yas Island hotel and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium were bathed in light to mark World Neglected Tropical Disease Day.
In recent years, the emirate’s leaders have pledged tens of millions of dollars towards tackling serious diseases that are often overlooked.
It is estimated that NTDs affect about 1.7 billion people.
They include: leprosy, Chagas disease, intestinal worms, dengue and chikungunya, Guinea worm disease, scabies, trachoma and schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, yaws, river blindness and sleeping sickness.
Experts warn that with global medical resources diverted to the coronavirus pandemic, resources are being sucked away from the fight against NTDs.
The World Health Organisation has set out a plan for eradicating many tropical diseases by 2030.
“If we are to end the scourge of neglected tropical diseases, we urgently need to do things differently,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, speaking last week.
“This means injecting new energy into our efforts and working together in new ways to get prevention and treatment for all these diseases, to everyone who needs it.”
