Sightsavers welcomes FCDO partnership to tackle lymphatic filariasis in Africa

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has committed £15 million towards beating lymphatic filariasis (LF), a painful neglected tropical disease that causes enlargement of body parts.

The funding is part of the UK government’s contribution to the Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Fund, which is a large-scale initiative working to accelerate the elimination of river blindness and LF across Africa.

Minister for Development at the FCDO, Anneliese Dodds, said: “Through the UK’s £15 million contribution to the RLM Fund, we’re boosting efforts to eliminate LF and river blindness throughout Africa by 2030. Our partner Sightsavers is working hard to implement this in 11 African countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia. I’m delighted that this work got underway in September.”

The RLM Fund was established in 2017 by the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in partnership with the Gates Foundation to end preventable diseases and contribute to a more equitable world. The recent expansion of the fund aims to support 38 endemic African countries to eliminate river blindness and LF as a public health problem.

Sightsavers CEO Caroline Harper said: “At a turbulent time for global health, Sightsavers welcomes the UK government’s recommitment to the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and its support for people living with the effects of lymphatic filariasis.

“LF condemns millions of people across Africa to long-term disability, making it harder for them to earn a living and leaving them facing stigma in their communities. This investment will help train health workers and surgeons, teach patients to manage their condition and enable operations. Together, these will make health systems stronger and transform people’s lives, enabling them to thrive.”

The FCDO’s return to NTD programming comes after the Ascend programme, UK Aid’s flagship initiative to tackle five NTDs, which ended in August 2021. The programme delivered outstanding achievements, including supporting ministries of health in 12 countries and eliminating river blindness in three states in Nigeria.

Sightsavers has supported more than 587 million treatments for LF and estimates that 9.9 million people are no longer at risk due to these interventions. In 2023, Sightsavers contributed to 15 per cent of all LF treatments distributed across Africa. This partnership between the FCDO and Sightsavers means that many more people will be protected from the parasitic disease, increasing productivity and improving quality of life for millions of people around the world.