Kuwait Fund and WHO unite to combat neglected tropical diseases across Africa

Kuwait : The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed a Grant Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 8, 2024. Under this agreement, KFAED will provide a $5 million grant to support the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases during 2024–2028.

The agreement was signed by Waleed Sh. Al Bahar, Acting Director General of KFAED, and Dr Assad Hafeez, WHO Representative to Kuwait.

The project targets the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases in 47 African countries, benefiting over 400 million people annually. It will supply approximately 750 million free medication tablets each year, provided by pharmaceutical companies. WHO’s Africa regional office will oversee technical and financial management.

This initiative is the ninth humanitarian collaboration between KFAED and WHO. Since 1994, KFAED has contributed around $20 million to WHO, including a $3 million grant for Yemen’s “Sustaining Life-Saving Health Services” project, which concluded in April 2022.