Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" joins global Carter Center campaign to end the spread of Guinea worm disease
Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global", chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, has invested $1 million to help complete the eradication of Guinea worm, a neglected tropical disease that remains only in remote poor rural villages in a few African countries.
Launched today in New York, The Carter Center Challenge Fund for Guinea Worm Eradication aims to secure $40 million to help eradicate the disease. The Carter Center Challenge Fund will match, dollar for dollar, donations to the Guinea Worm Eradication Program, up to $10 million per year in 2019 and 2020, for a total of $20 million. Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global"’ is the first donation from an international organization.
This latest investment means that over the past five years Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" has donated more than $60 million to help eliminate diseases and improve access to vaccines through partnerships with The Carter Center, Gavi, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the END fund.
Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" collaborates with The Carter Center on several health programs, including the elimination of river blindness and treating and preventing advanced-stage trachoma, both leading causes of infectious blindness worldwide.
Abeer Al Fouti, Executive Director of Global Initiatives, said: “At Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" we help to build stronger, more resilient communities by addressing fundamental challenges such as poverty and disease. Through the combined power of partnerships, such as our relationship with The Carter Center, we can empower individuals and organizations to wipe out preventable diseases.”
Jason Carter, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Carter Center, said: “Our successes are a testament to the fierce persistence of people on the front lines and our committed partners. We are grateful for every ally standing with us as we seek to eradicate the first parasitic disease in human history.”
The Carter Center, working with core partners including the WHO, has led the global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease since 1986, when an estimated 3.5 million people a year in 21 countries were infected with the painful disease.
“Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" has been a valuable partner for more than 16 years,” Carter added. “Their concern for the poorest among us should inspire others to respond in like manner.”
For over 39 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" has supported and spent more than 4 billion dollars on social welfare, and initiated more than 1000 projects in over 189 countries, managed by 10 Saudi female members, reaching more than 976 million beneficiaries around the world, regardless of gender, race, or religion. Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global" collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental, and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. It seeks to build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting world.
