For those out and about Saturday night in Atlanta, they may have noticed some familiar places had an orange glow.
The SkyView Ferris wheel at Centennial Olympic Park was just one of the sites taking part in a worldwide lighting of notable monuments — from the Giza Pyramids in Egypt to the Tokyo Tower in Japan — to bring attention to a worldwide fight against tropical diseases.
The second annual World NTD Day highlighted the global community’s commitment to ending neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which particularly affect the world’s most marginalized communities.
Here in Atlanta, the Carter Center is a world leader in trying to eradicate five little known tropical diseases that kill, sicken or disable millions of people in poor countries.
“There should be no such thing as a neglected disease, tropical or otherwise. With the resources, knowledge, and technology available to us today, there is little excuse for millions of people to continue to suffer from these preventable illnesses,” former President Jimmy Carter said in a written statement. He and former first lady Rosalynn Carter founded the Carter Center in 1982.
The Carters’ home in the president’s hometown of Plains also was lit up, in addition to the town’s Main Street, on Saturday night.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Carter Center were also among Atlanta attractions with the orange glow Saturday night.
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