This year, The Task Force has been fortunate to continue our growth, expand our reach and save and improve lives for more people than ever before.  

In Fiscal Year 2023, we achieved significant progress in the control and elimination of polio, hepatitis and neglected tropical diseases. We observed major long-term milestones such as stewarding a total of 13 billion tablets to treat such infectious diseases as onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (LF). And as the trusted partners of companies like Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and GSK, we continued the work of some of the oldest and most successful partnerships in global health. For example, we enabled the treatment of more than 34 million people in FY 23 for blinding trachoma and a total of more than 300 million people through the lifetime of this program. 

The Task Force is fundamentally a partnership-based model, and we are always seeking ways to help build sustainable capacity where it is needed most. As one example, four of our programs worked together to help 14 countries in Africa and Asia establish early-warning disease surveillance systems. This will shorten the time between the start of an outbreak and the response, ensuring that immunization, early warning surveillance systems and other critical capacity are ready for whatever health threat emerges.

Our reach is expansive, and our hallmark is innovation. Looking to the coming year, we are committed to contributing our expertise to issues of growing urgency, such as the health of refugees and migrants, the health impacts of climate change and the need to combat antimicrobial resistance through public awareness and other means. 

Thank you for being a valued member of The Task Force community. Your support is instrumental in shaping a healthier and more resilient world. 

With gratitude,