A major donation to a UAE fundraising initiative will change the lives of thousands of world’s most vulnerable people.
The Reach Campaign, which was launched in February last year, focuses on neglected tropical diseases, which are little known in the wider world but devastating for sufferers.
The initiative seeks to eliminate two of the worst – river blindness and lymphatic filariasis – both of which are caused by parasitic worms carried by flying insects.
More than 200 million people globally require treatment for river blindness – one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, while about 850 million people are at risk of lymphatic filariasis.
So far, the campaign has received more than Dh2.8 million ($762,000), helping more than 14 million people in seven countries.
The goal of the fund is to carry out as many preventive measures and interventions where needed so the next generation can live free from disease.
Our hope is that through eliminating them, we can empower some of the most vulnerable communities to live a healthier and more productive life
Nassar Al Mubarak,
Reach Campaign
Recently, the Reach Campaign received a donation of Dh367,250 ($100,000) from global development company Globesight.
The donation could be used to protect 200,000 people from contracting river blindness and lymphatic filariasis for a full year. Alternatively, it could also be used to protect 3,000 people from contracting the two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) for life.
“NTDs affect about 1.5 billion people worldwide. These diseases are not only preventable, but eliminating them will have widespread benefits among communities,” said Nassar Al Mubarak, managing director of the Reach Campaign.
“Often, the children of adults who have contracted one of the diseases will have to drop out of school to become primary caregivers, impacting the entire family and trapping families in a cycle of poverty.
“Our hope is that through eliminating them, we can empower some of the most vulnerable communities to live a healthier and more productive life.”
Funds raised by the Reach Campaign are administered by the Reach the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), a 10-year, $100 million (Dh367.3 million) initiative established in 2017 by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, along with other supporters, including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
It offers treatment and preventive measures in countries across Africa and the Middle East and invests in disease mapping, supports advanced lab facilities and cross-border collaborations.
In 2018, more than 13.5 million treatments for lymphatic filariasis and river blindness were delivered through the fund, and 76,000 healthcare workers were trained to help expand treatment and outreach.
The RLMF is managed by the End Fund, a philanthropic investment platform focused on tackling the five most common NTDs.
The End Fund produced a number of videos to highlight the stories of those who have received treatment-support from the RLMF and how it has changed their lives.
Fund provides much-needed treatment
Toyota Mkisyura, a farmer from Democratic Republic of the Congo, contracted lymphatic filariasis – a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes – and developed elephantiasis, which causes the limbs to permanently swell.
“I’ve grown up with this illness, and it continues to ravage my feet,” the mother of five said in the video.
“The burning in my body grows; as the heat gets worse, the pain gets worse.”
She sells doughnuts for a living and engages in farming, but the disease has limited her opportunities to sell her produce because of other vendors at the market.
“They’d discourage me by saying the flies that land on my sores would also touch the sugar, and this could infect other people,” she said.
“They found ways to keep me out of the market.
“I still sell on my land, but I don’t make as much profit as I used to.”
Through the End Fund, Ms Mkisyura was provided with a treatment known as morbidity management, which gives patients relief from the disease and reduces progression through simple measures of hygiene, skin care, exercises and elevation of affected limbs.
Kasech Fantu, who lives in Sankura, Ethiopia with her two children, also suffers from elephantiasis and has benefited from the fund's assistance.
“When you see it [my leg] now it looks OK, right?” she said as she rubbed her swollen foot and ankle with some water.
“But there are times when it gets very swollen, it prevents me from going outside so people can’t see me; I just stay indoors sleeping on my mattress.
“When I do go outside, the people ostracise me, and I get embarrassed to go out in public to even shop.”
When Ms Fantu went to see health professionals from the fund, she was given some ointment and a bandage to cover her leg, and advised to do physical exercise.
Despite her physical pain, Ms Fantu said she is happy.
"If a person is happy, everything else is there. I speak well, I laugh, I weep, and I enjoy myself. Thank God I am still happy."
Lelamo Mukhtar, an Ethiopian farmer from Sankura, said when he was young he used to work hard on his farm, before he became sick with lymphatic filariasis.
“God gave me land, money and children, but now I am unable to even take care of my children,” said the father of 10.
Mr Mukhtar's son Fouwad has taken over the responsibility of supporting the family and dropped out of school to work.
“I pray that my children live a good life and that they stay healthy, because even if they are poor, they can work and survive,” Mr Mukhtar said.
“They can go to school and end up having a good life. In order to do all of that, health is the most important. Health comes first and is the most important thing.”
Mr Mukhtar was also provided with “much-needed treatment” by RLMF.
Last mile is always the most difficult
The Reach Campaign, the End Fund and RLMF support efforts to combat river blindness by capturing insects that cause it, especially the blackfly.
The disease can lead to blindness and painful skin infections for 205 million people worldwide who are at risk.
Moce, a Malian grandfather, contracted river blindness more than 30 years ago.
“The doctors showed me the microbe. It looked like the eyelash,” he said.
“It has been a while since I was diagnosed with oncho [oonchocerciasis]. I was given medicines that actually caused my feet to swell,” Moce said.
“I returned to the doctors to receive some more medicine to reduce the side effects. The doctors found something that they operated, but it did not help.”
He is now given onchocerciasis treatment every year.
The captured blackflies are sent to a lab to be tested for the presence of the parasite that causes river blindness.
“In West Africa, before the control activity started, there were more than half a million infected, and about 250,000 blind because of onchocerciasis,” said Prof Daniel Boakye, a senior technical programme adviser at the End Fund.
“For you to get the disease, you have to be exposed to a lot of bites. Most of the people are either farmers or fishermen who are exposed to these bites.
“With all that has been done for about 40 years to eliminate river blindness, reaching the last mile is always the most difficult part.”
He said in many places, the disease has been controlled as a public health problem.
“You go to these communities, and you don’t see little children leading the blind, but rather going to school.
“So it’s rewarding to know that you’ve been part of something that has been taking away misery from a lot of people.”
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Afro%20salons
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The%20specs
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Results
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now