MASSIVEGOOD will be operational in January 2010 in several countries. Mondial Assistance is in partnership with the Millennium Foundation for Innovative Finance for Health. Millennium Foundation’s mission is to create a sustainable source of needed additional funding to treat and fight life threatening diseases, like malaria, to reduce childhood mortality, and to improve maternal health. For its part, Mondial assistance will offer its international call center assistance services to respond to telephone donors.
Malaria No More UK has partnered with leading digital agency, Reading Room, in order to raise awareness about malaria and to end the suffering and death caused by the disease. Reading Room has instigated a major online drive to attract audiences to support Malaria No Mores goals of protecting every person in Africa by giving access to a mosquito net and malaria treatment by 2010.
Sarah Kline, the Executive Director for Malaria No More UK said “We believe the opportunity to be a part of our campaign to end malaria is an incredibly empowering and compelling proposition for our UK audience. The decision to engage Reading Room signals our ambition to use digital media to drive the message that ending malaria is achievable”.
Researchers from the Austrailian National University are reporting that they have identified how a protein in the malaria parasite counters the anti-malarial effect of chloroquine. The discovery could lead to a resurgence of chloroquine use if scientists find a way to combat the protein.
It would be a long road to realize a chloroquine comeback but researchers remain hopeful.
“Now that we have a clear model for how this protein works, scientists can concentrate their efforts on developing forms of chloroquine that can beat even the resistant strains of malaria. This may lay the foundation for a renaissance in the development of potent quinoline antimalarial drugs.”
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does tremendous work in providing resources to global health initiatives across the globe. The fight against malaria is a significant recipient of those resources and every day we see proof that the efforts are worthwhile. U.S. investments in global health are working.
Following up on coverage of yesterday’s launch of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). The AP has a report out quoting ALMA chair, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
Rampant poverty has burdened prevention, control and cure efforts, Kikwete said. The alliance is designed to allow members to achieve efficiencies in the procurement, distribution and employment of malaria controls.
The international community has donated $3 billion to finance the project, which plans to distribute more than 240 million insecticide-treated beds throughout malaria-endemic African countries by the end of 2010, the alliance said.
“The goals look ambitious but I am confident they are achievable,” Kikwete said.
As an ambassador for Roll Back Malaria, Chaka Chaka recently sat down with AllAfrica to discuss her charity work and her help in fighting malaria. Chaka Chaka has been an advocate for the eradication of malaria ever since one of her musicians died after contracting the disease. “It was an eye-opener… I’ll start to give all the effort that I have to make sure no one dies of malaria.”
Although Chaka Chaka is doing the best she can, she acknowledges the obstacles in the fight against malaria, “Obviously funding in a huge obstacle. Political will – that’s what we need as well.”
The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) is scheduled to launch at the UN headquarters in New York. ALMA is an inter-governmental organization dedicated to ending malaria deaths. The purpose of ALMA is to provide a forum for high level, collective advocacy to ensure efficient procurement, distribution, and utilization of malaria control interventions.
Rwandan president Paul Kagame, along with a host of other African nations is scheduled to attend. A statement released by ALMA reads “Africa’s leaders are joining together to defeat malaria because the disease represents one of the biggest health and economic challenges to Africa and as a major killer of children, malaria accounts for one quarter of all deaths of children under-five years in Africa.”
A leading advocate of ALMA’s message is UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Malaria Ray Chambers. Chambers reiterates the importance of a cooperative effort in defeating the disease. The ALMA summit begins September 24, 2009.
Emily on Buzzwords is bringing us up to speed on events in New York surrounding the first meeting of ALMA – the African Leaders Malaria Alliance.
Today at the United Nations, African Leaders will gather to launch the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, an influential forum for reviewing progress, addressing challenges and crafting solutions to meet malaria targets. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers, has noted that real malaria gains will only be made with support from the very top of government.
To hear from U.N. Special Envoy, Ray Chambers, about ALMA click here. We will have more on the launch of ALMA this afternoon.
We are tracking some coverage of the PBS series focusing on Africa and how nation’s and organizations are fighting disease. You can see the clip for yourself here.
A recent documentary on NetMark–a project funded by USAID to distribute bednets across Africa by bridging the gap between the private and public sectors–highlights the successes and future of malaria control.
NetMark set itself apart by creating sustainable markets for ITNs (insect-treated nets) and expanding capitalistic interests by creating jobs thereby improving quality, expanding distribution and lowering cost. By harnessing the power of the private sector through international textile companies, local net production factories can compete in markets by offering greater choice through color, size and shape. By providing free or reduced price vouchers thanks to the unity between private and public sectors, NetMark can aid even those affected by extreme poverty.
Based on principles of sustainability, NetMark’s Full Market Impact creates sustainable commercial markets and increases the demand of these nets through education in schools and road shows, where local performs sing and dance about the dangers, and preventability, of malaria. Serving as an intermediary, NetMark hopes to establish a solid base of commercialism so the local governments and businesses can sustain themselves long after NetMark leaves.
