Support Statements
Statements of Support for World Malaria Day
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To view a selection of the statements please click on the various images or scoll below for the full list.
"I support World Malaria Day. We can rid the world of the scourge of malaria. We have the means. We often lack the political will. Let us reverse this trend and make our world malaria free”
Desmond Tutu Archbishop Emeritus
The Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation
"Malaria is a prevalent disease in many parts of the world where mosquitoes are rife and once contracted, more often that not in areas where living conditions are difficult, can prove fatal. Anything which can be done to prevent and combat malaria and other communicable diseases is vitally important and I fully support World Malaria Day with the Malaria Consortium and the fantastic work it does everywhere and particularly in Africa and Asia."
Jonny Wilkinson
Rugby player for Newcastle Falcons and member of the England national team
'I know from personal experience how important it is for Malaria sufferers to receive urgent medical attention. Alas, not everyone affected is so lucky, so I support any initiative that raises awareness.'
Dame Judi Dench
"Around half a billion people a year contract malaria - a preventable infection that today still kills one child every thirty seconds. No disease in human history has caused more sickness or loss of life. This year we have launched the MDG Call to Action, bringing together governments, NGOs, businesses, faith groups and civil societies from across the world to get the Millennium Development Goals back on track. And to achieve this we must redouble our efforts to tackle the global development emergency, including the devastation of lives and communities that is the shameful legacy of malaria even in 2008. Only by being bold and ambitious in our approach can we combat and ultimately eradicate this disease"
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown
Prime Minister, the United Kingdom
"Malaria remains number one killer disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also the major constraint to economic development in the same areas contributing to several person years lost to work. It must be fought with all possible means available, attacking the adult mosquito even with DDT; the larva in stagnant water; and the parasite in the human body. I fully support the World Malaria Day to raise global awareness and the well to do, to contribute to preventive activities among the poor African Nations"
Prof. Gilbert B.Bukenya
Vice President, The Republic of Uganda
"We support the fight against one of the most common infectious diseases today -- Malaria. Annually, it affects over 500 million people making it an enormous public health problem. While malaria is both preventable and curable, more than one million people, mainly pregnant women and young children, die of malaria every year. UNITAID was created as an innovative source of funding to reduce prices of quality drugs and diagnostics and to scale up access where they are needed most. We have committed to provide over 60 million artemisinin combination therapies over the period 2007-2010, and we will continue to work with our partners to increase the availability and affordability of quality anti-malarial medicines."
Dr Jorge Bermudez
Executive Secretary, UNITAID Secretariat
"Let the 25th April 2008 commemoration of World Malaria Day re-kindle the efforts of everybody: technocrats, civil society, politicians, and the donor community alike towards combating the malaria scourge that has caused untold morbidity, mortality and reduced productivity resulting into devastating socio economic consequences.
Let us support the rapid scale up of all proven malaria control interventions en mass. The attainment of the MDGs ispossible through a united front against malaria."
Dr. Melville George
"I was diagnosed with malaria while travelling around the Equator and I have never felt worse. Luckily I was able to get treatment, a luxury unavailable to many of the thousands who die from malaria in the developing world every week. Malaria remains the curse of the tropics. It's a disease almost entirely found between the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere, and the Tropic of Cancer in the north, and travelling around both the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn for the BBC I've seen the enormous suffering malaria inflicts on families, villages, and entire communities. Around 3,000 African children die of malaria every day, one every 30 seconds. Perhaps half of all the humans who have ever lived have died of malaria, and throughout history the disease has been our greatest enemy. On World Malaria Day, all of us who live in the cozy West have a chance to remember the millions of people who are still being infected by this terrible disease."
Simon Reeve
"As the Ambassador of Malaria Awareness Week 2008, I am delighted to add my support to the first World Malaria Day. I travel most of the year, including in malarious countries and I am well aware of the dangers of contracting the disease and of its fatal consequences. Malaria is treatable and preventable. I have access to malaria prevention tools and I would have access to treatment should I become affected but millions still die of the disease every year. In Africa, children under 5 and pregnant women are bearing the brunt of the epidemic. We cannot be indifferent to this human tragedy and I hope this new International Day serves to raise awareness and inspires people across the world to take all kinds of actions in the fight against malaria."
Ben Fogle
"Having malaria can mean two things - you are too ill to work, tend your cattle or your crops, so your lose vital income or food for your family. Or you die. It is an indiscriminate disease, effecting the old, the young, and even unborn babies and it is the world's poorest people who are the hardest hit and the least able to combat it. At best malaria keeps people poor, at worst it kills millions of people, needlessly, every year. Our greatest legacy, as a global community, would be to wipe out malaria for ever."
Kate Humble
"I have been involved with the malaria awareness campaign in the UK for some years because I have seen for myself the devastation this disease can cause. During my television career, I have reported from many countries which are malaria hot spots. Fortunately I have escaped infection because I have always meticulously taken the full course of tablets while there and when I came home. My father had no such protection when he was a prisoner-of-war in the Far East and suffered dreadful bouts of malaria for many years afterwards. He did survive the mosquito bite, unlike millions of other victims. But seeing him suffer made me acutely aware this merciless disease and I fully support World Malaria Day."
John Craven OBE
"It is criminal that nearly 8 million people died in Africa in 2007 mainly because of TB, HIV, MALARIA and maternal mortality. All of which could have been prevented.
I looked into the eyes of one of my very close friends. I vividly recall the empty look when his daughter died of Malaria in 1998. From that day, Malaria became my number one enemy. I will commit time and effort to support any means to fight malaria for the rest of my life.
I call upon the leaders of the world and more so, our leaders in Africa to take a BOLD STAND and tackle malaria conclusively Sooner rather than Later"
Patrick Bitature
Chairman, Uganda Investment Authority & CEO, Simba Telecom.
"I am pleased to lend my support to World Malaria Day. Malaria is estimated to cause three million deaths every year around the world and kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds. It is important that the international community works together to channel resources into the fight against malaria, working with local agencies and local people. In London we are fortunate not to be directly effected by Malaria but I know that there are many Londoners who will be supporting World Malaria Day in any way they can - by fundraising, campaigning or contributing their expertise. I congratulate the Malaria Consortium for making World Malaria Day happen and encourage people to get involved."
Ken Livingstone
"World Malaria Day should give us, parliamentarians around the world, the opportunity to raise awareness and to mobilize the resources that are needed to eradicate this disease. Malaria is the number one killer disease in Africa. But fighting the disease receives too little attention from donor governments in Europe, even if we know that investing in malaria pays. So let's mobilize and convince our governments to put the money where the mouth is!"
Hon. Anne van Lancker,
"On this, Malaria Awareness Day, also known as World Malaria Day, we remember those taken or stricken by one of the planet's oldest scourges, made more tragic because it is preventable. We must rededicate our commitment to help rid malaria as a major killer in Africa by focusing our efforts on the most vulnerable, pregnant women and children.
Press statement from Henrietta H. Fore, USAID Administrator and Admiral Timothy Ziemer, PMI Coordinator
To read the full statement, click here
"Although physical height is very useful in basketball, the stature that counts in life is the quality of our service and of our relationship to humanity. Africa is suffering and touched by an unacceptable high burden of disease; especially from a few communicable diseases known as diseases of the poor. These are HIV and AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Not only do these disease cause untold levels of human suffering and unnecessary deaths, but there is a terrible economic toll it is taking in Africa. Malaria continues to be a killer, particularly of children in Africa. Malaria alone has been responsible for a loss of up to 20% of GDP in Sub-Sahara Africa between 1983 and 1998.
It the city of Kinshasa, DR Congo, my hometown, Malaria is still the principal cause of death that is recorded in many of the health centers. It is my sincere hope that the Africa of tomorrow will have equal access to quality health care. That is why I am personally working toward that goal. With the help of people of goodwill, like the Malaria Consortium, I have no doubt in my mind that we can achieve that goal. It is the right thing to do and it is in our common interest as citizens of the world. I am delighted to be working with the U.N Foundation which has donated Insecticide treated bednets to the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the Congo. These nets will help combat malaria, so let us try to eradicate malaria from the planet in our lifetime".
Dikembe Mutombo
NBA All Star for the Houston Rockets and founder of Dikembe Mutombo Foundation
"I fully support the first ever World Malaria Day. It is vital that the global community takes this opportunity to acknowledge that malaria, which is entirely preventable, is one of the planet's deadliest diseases. Many people are unaware of its severity and don’t take it seriously. Yet about 40% of the world's population are at risk- over 3 billion people – and the disease claimsover one million lives each year; the vast majority of them children under five. World Malaria Day is a fantastic chance for us to work together to save lives, by raising awareness and thus involving more people in combating this global emergency. The challenge will be to keep up the momentum afterwards, in order to achieve lasting improvements."
Angelique Kidjo
Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer and songwriter
"World Malaria Day is an opportunity for a ‘Human Rights and Malaria Call to Action’, to make plain that malaria is a very grave human rights issue. Every day, thousands suffering from malaria are denied their fundamental human rights. The traditional human rights movement must take malarial mortality and morbidity as seriously as they take death penalty cases and ‘disappearances’.
Professor Paul Hunt
UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Health
"I support World Malaria Day whose goal is to reduce and ultimately eradicate malaria. The fight against malaria is one which we should all join before many more men, women, and children are killed from this preventable and treatable disease. For those of us who are aware and understand malaria, let us spread information on the prevention and cure of this disease to all our people - we must reach them wherever they are. Many of them may not have access to print and broadcast information, but it is our responsibility as leaders to make sure that we go deep down in the villages and teach them how to defend themselves against this killer disease. Let us all work together and eradicate malaria."
Her Royal Highness Sylvia Nagginda Luswata
Nnabagereka (Queen) of Buganda Kingdom
"Madagascar has consistently achieved an outstanding success in the fight against Malaria. Highly effective partnerships such as RBM's technical assistance in crafting compelling proposals,
an unwavering political commitment through the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), and a result-oriented management are among the key success factors which enabled us to avert 3 million malaria cases in 2006 and will make the eradication of this disease a reality in Madagascar by 2012."
H.E. Mr. Jeannot Rakotomalala
Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar to the EU
"Millions of human lives in Africa can be saved if we remain committed to malaria control with sufficient resources and proven, affordable interventions.
The greatest tragedy is that death from malaria is largely avoidable through effective prevention and control measures. One insecticide-treated net, a simple three-day malaria treatment, and home-spraying with safe and effective insecticide can all make a huge difference in the lives of Africa's rural populations.
The U.S. Government, in partnership with African governments, NGOs, faith-based and other civil society organizations, and the national and international private sector, is working to improve the lives of people throughout the world in the fight against malaria.
The ultimate success of all our efforts will be judged by the effectiveness of the partnerships we build. There is now growing optimism among national malaria control programs and their partners that malaria in sub-Saharan Africa can be controlled.
If we work together, we can defeat this killer disease."
Steven Browning
United States Ambassador to Uganda
"On World Malaria Day, it's important to recognize that the innovation and creativity of business is a critical component in the fight against malaria. Malaria is one of the greatest threats to global health and economic welfare - and it's easy and inexpensive to prevent. We have all the tools at our disposal needed to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease. By working in concert with public health agencies and civil society, the private sector is poised to broaden the reach and effectiveness of these critical malaria interventions and defeat this deadly global epidemic once and for all."
John Tedstrom
Executive Director, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
"Over the past few years, we have turned the fight against malaria from one of despair to become one of great hope and promise. With new technologies in the form of long-lasting insecticide-impregnated bed nets and artemisinin combination therapies, with new financing from the Global Fund and several other international and bilateral sources, and with a tremendous effort by health departments, community workers and non-governmental organizations, we can aim to eliminate malaria as a health problem in many countries, and in most others at least drastically reduce its impact. The Global Fund provides more than two thirds of all international malaria-funding worldwide. We are committed to continue to increase funding for malaria efforts so that we can see drastic, sustainable reductions in deaths from this disease in the coming years."
Dr Michel Kazatchkine
Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
"On this day, April 25, the global community appropriately reflects on the scourge that is malaria, which affects millions worldwide and remains one of the biggest killers of children. We remain hopeful that an effective vaccine against this deadly disease will soon be available and certified to protect children and the vulnerable around the world,
particularly in the poorest countries."
Dr Alan R. Gillespie, CBE
Chair, The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm)
"Barclays fully supports the aims of World Malaria Day and the Malaria Consortium.
We have over 40,000 colleagues in Africa (nearly 1/3 of our entire workforce) and serve eight million customers across the continent. We know too well the social and economic impact malaria has on the lives of many of those colleagues and customers. As a result, we support a wide range of prevention and control efforts in a number of countries. For instance: in Uganda, we supported a project that distributed 570,000 insecticide treated nets to poorer communities; in Zambia, we worked with the Zambia Malaria Foundation to develop educational resources to ensure no child leaves school without knowing how to protect themselves from the disease; in Kenya, we worked with the Ministry of Health on a dinner to fund distribution of insecticide nets.
Investing in the fight against malaria across Africa is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the communities in which we do business, and where our colleagues and customers live, are healthy and vibrant. We recognise, however, that this particular fight will only be won when concerted effort is undertaken. World Malaria Day will help achieve that."
John Varley
Group Chief Executive, Barclays PLC
"As the UK's biggest Fairtrade retailer we work with hundreds of farmers across the developing world who supply us with tea, coffee, sugar, fruit and vegetables. We know how devastating malaria can be for individuals, families and whole communities, so Sainsbury's supports World Malaria Day to raise global awareness of the impact of this disease on large parts of Africa and Asia.
Producers receive a social premium for selling Fairtrade products. This, and money raised through Comic and Sport Relief which Sainsbury's sponsors, supports local initiatives to improve housing, infrastructure, education, health and hygiene. In this way we believe we can help support the eradication of deadly and devastating diseases like malaria."
Justin King
Chief Executive, J Sainsbury plc
"The first World Malaria Day draws everybody together, which is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to voice their opinions about this preventable but killer disease. Malaria kills but the fact remains it is preventable and can be treated so I urge the international community to respond and join the fight against malaria. Wakisa Ministries We support Malaria Consortium in its work to raise awareness of the this killer disease"
Vivian Kityo
Director Wakisa Ministries Uganda &Trustee of the Mothers' Union Worldwide
"UNICEF welcomes the opportunity to join in celebrating World Malaria Day 2008. Malaria is a global problem, affecting child health and survival across the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, it kills around 800,000 children every year. Greater global awareness of malaria has contributed to a significant increase in resources and as a result coverage of effective interventions is increasing. Country successes in malaria prevention and control have largely been the result of increasing integration of malaria services as a component of comprehensive Maternal and Child Health services. Further scale-up and integration of malaria prevention and control is required, alongside sustained financing, community involvement and leadership, and stronger global, regional and national partnerships".
Ann M Veneman
Executive Director, UNICEF
For full statement, click here
"Ireland has explicitly prioritised malaria as a focus in its ODA programming in recognition of the colossal burden associated with the disease and its impact on the lives of poor people worldwide but in Africa in particular. The disproportionate impact on under-five year old children and pregnant women is cause for much concern for us in Ireland and further justification for the focus.
Consequently and as a manifestation of our commitment, our Taoiseach has pledged to provide 100 million each year for malaria, TB, HIV and other communicable diseases. A substantial part of this goes towards malaria through our support to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria together with support for new product development and both regional and country level work to complement our support to the World Health Organisation and its valuable work with the Roll Back Malaria campaign.
We are convinced of the strategic sense of focusing on malaria and that it is possible to overcome the disease. This optimism spurred on by remarkable gains in recent years as a result of the noble efforts of many, including the Malaria Consortium. But we do need to stay the course, to sustain and boost current efforts, to collaborate effectively between ourselves and to attack the problem at multiple levels simultaneously - global, regional and country level.
Our continued support to malaria is assured."
Michael Kitt T.D
Minister of State for Overseas Assistance , Irish Aid
"I wholeheartedly support the first ever World Malaria Day! Since my band member Phumzile Ntuli died of malaria in 2004 I took time to find out more, and was horrified to find it was the biggest killer of children under 5, pregnant women and HIV + people. I have dedicated my time since then to fight this terrible disease as UNICEF and RBM ambassador. As I travel across Africa I see the terrible impact of malaria on people's lives but I know it doesn't have to be this way. With money from the International community we are starting to see pockets of success with people receiving Long lasting nets and getting the correct treatment. The rate of malaria death is reducing but we need the pockets of success to be country, continent and world wide so all people suffering from malaria across the globe will have hope for the future.
World Malaria Day 2008 is a reminder that we all need to work together, and that no one organisation, no one community, no one country can fight this disease alone; that is why I agreed to be the RBM partnership Ambassador, to encourage all partners to work together to stop this needless suffering and death. Everyone has a role to play. We need the donors to keep funding malaria control sustainably and we need recipient country governments to use the money transparently and accountably to make a real difference and show good results so more funds will arrive."
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
President, Princes of Africa Foundation
"The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) observes the first World Malaria Day with a sense of optimism. Malaria is finally receiving the attention it warrants. Programs devoted to expanding access to current interventions are beginning to have an impact. Research into new tools, such as vaccines, is moving forward. Indeed, the world may be just five years away from having a first malaria vaccine ready for use.
Why a vaccine? Because, from smallpox to yellow fever, vaccines have provided the world with our most efficient means of preventing disease and death.
At MVI, we invest in a diversity of vaccine candidates and partners that take different approaches to fighting the malaria parasite. By not putting all our eggs in one basket, we can better manage the risk of failure-and increase our chances of success.
This approach is working. The first-ever late-stage (Phase 3) trial of a malaria vaccine is scheduled to begin later this year, thanks to our partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and a network of ten clinical trial sites in Africa. Other vaccine candidates are also moving forward.
Much more will have to be done, however, to achieve the goal of first, controlling malaria and, ultimately, eradicating it. Expanding the use of existing strategies and developing new tools will require significant financial resources, sustained political will, and lots of new ideas.
This year, we observe the first World Malaria Day by citing the progress being made in the battle against the disease-and, at MVI, our progress toward having a safe and effective malaria vaccine. We look forward to a time when we mark the occasion by celebrating a world free of malaria."
Dr. Christian Loucq
Director, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
"I am often told the shocking statistic that the number of people dying every month from Malaria could fill Wembley stadium. When you consider that, given proper treatment, every death is preventable, that is unacceptable in the 21st Century.
Malaria is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Not only does it claim thousands of lives every year, it is hindering economic and social development across Africa and Asia. It is widely recognised that six out of eight Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without first tackling this killer disease. I am proud of what the Government has done over the last ten years in putting international development firmly on the agenda, however, we need the international community to work together and stick to the promises made when the Millennium Development Goals were announced.
World Malaria Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness, and galvanise the political will, necessary to end this tragic waste of human life"
Shahid Malik MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development
"Helping to eliminate the scourge of malaria is one of the major challenges facing the global scientific community. SciDev.Net (the Science and Development Network) is pleased to support these efforts, not only by drawing attention to the technical progress through its website to what is being achieved in this field -- and the hurdles that remain -- but also by enhancing the ability of journalists and other communicators in developing countries (for example, by capacity building workshops) to write in an informative and accessible way about both scientific achievements and challenges. Malaria research can only make it's full impact if its results are accurately and effectively communicated to both policymakers and the wider community, and professional communicators have an important task in ensuring that this happens."
David Dickson
Director, SciDev.Net
"It is tragic that a preventable and treatable disease like Malaria still kills over a million people every year - especially when simple acts like sleeping under a treated bed net saves lives. World Malaria Day is a timely reminder that the world can and must do more to combat this dreadful disease."
Sir Martin Sorrell,
CEO, WPP
"Malaria kills 21,000 kids in the Republic of Congo every year, and contributes hugely to the 64% anemia prevalence. Thus ensuring free access to prevention and treatment of malaria as has recently been annouced by the President Sassou Nguesso will help to ensure the right to survival and development of every child. UNICEF is committed to enable the achievement of this goal through support for the procurement and distribution of drugs and bednets, and mobilising the community and civil society to ensure adequate utilisation. We believe it is the right to every child to sleep under an insecticide treated net and have access to ACT treatment within 24 hours, regardless where it lives !"
Dr. Koen Vanormelingen
UNICEF’s Representative in Congo
'One of the world's most deadly killer diseases, malaria, has been one of the priorities of the Ethiopian health sector for many years. Ethiopia has become a leading example in how to prevent malaria, particularly through its bed-net distribution programme which has seen over 20 million impregnated bed-nets distributed in the past two years alone. Ethiopia’s fight against malaria has greatly benefited from the partnership of the international community – both governments and NGOs – and I wish to express our appreciation of the Malaria Consortium as a fellow partner in these efforts.'
His Excellency Mr Berhanu Kebede
Ethiopian Ambassador to Britain
"World Malaria Day is an occasion to celebrate the positive results that we have seen in a number of malaria-endemic countries over the past few years and tackle the challenges that lie ahead of us. Today we are in a better position than we have ever been to win the fight against malaria. We have at our disposal effective ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating malaria. New funding is flowing into malaria control initiatives. A broad partnership against malaria is consolidating its efforts to act in an efficient and coordinated manner. World Malaria Day is a reminder to the global community that malaria is not a national issue, but a global public health problem."
Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck
Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership
“Anyone who has visited countries afflicted by malaria will know just how important the fight against this disease is. With the right education, prevention and treatment, the fact is that every malaria death is avoidable. In large part this is about resources. That is why the Conservative Party is pledged to spend a minimum of £500 million - or $1bn - a year tackling malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, every year until the Millennium Development Goals on malaria have been met. I hope other countries will follow suit. Recognising “World Malaria Day” is a vital step in the work of raising awareness of this disease and prompting action so we can win this fight against malaria in our generation”.
David Cameron MP
Leader of the UK Conservative Party
'I strongly support the Malaria Consortium. Having been back to the village in Uganda where I worked as a VSO forty years ago and seen the continuing devastation wrought by this disease I have no hesitation in urging you to join me in this cause.'
Jon Snow
British television newscaster on Channel 4 News
'I have travelled in countries affected by this terrible disease and I know that malaria is an international problem and we must all work to tackle it. The shocking fact is that most cases of malaria are preventable and treatable. We must wake up to this fact.'
Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the UK Liberal Democrats
"
Malaria could be the big win. Imagine the irony of turning this bastard of a disease - this disease that kills people every year at First World War levels - into a great triumph for humanitarian willpower and co-operation.
We could wipe out malaria in our lifetimes. And if we did, it would demonstrate that the battle against the worst excesses of poverty can be won - and drive people and politicians to believe that the Millennium Development Goals can be met - and change priorities to make that happen."
Richard Curtis
Writer and Director Love Actually, Co-founder and Vice-Chair Comic Relief
"As we celebrate the first ever World Malaria Day, I would like to share with you on this special occasion the fact that in recent years we have been making significant progress in reducing this epidemic, which is the main cause of mortality in my country. Thus, in 2006 the number of cases registered across the hospitals in the country has fallen significantly from 3 million to 2.2million cases. This was achieved owing to my government's commitment in providing more resources in tackling the disease, within the framework of the millennium goals.
As a proof of this commitment, a project for the construction of a factory for impregnated mosquito nets, with the capacity of producing 200 million units per year, will start in December 2008. Finally, I appeal to the international community, particularly to the big pharmaceutical companies, to contribute with donations of medicaments and to raising awareness of the terrible consequences of malaria in developing countries."
Her Excellency Ana Maria Teles Carreira
Ambassador of The Republic of Angola
"We are employers with a commitment to good health, but our productivity is affected by frequent ill health due to Malaria attacks on our work force, their families or very close friends, it kills the bread winners hence affecting the female workforce who may have to abandon their jobs and return to the villages.
KPI in collaboration with the WHO and Ministry of health launched HOMAPAK a flagship brand in the Home Based Management of Fever strategy which saved thousands of children. Today we have gone further to be the first local manufacturer in Uganda, to produce Artemisinin based Combination Treatment (ACT) called Duact.
We therefore strongly support World Malaria Day and Malaria Consortium in creating awareness; we want the whole world to know that Malaria although deadly is actually preventable. We believe that knowledge is the beginning of treatment; we ought to globally join hands in the sensitization and ensuring accessibility of effective medicine.
I therefore call upon Governments, and any one who cares for the human resource and economic development out there, to support local manufacturing in order to increase affordability of human medicine".
Nazeem Mohamed
CEO, Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries (1996) Limited, Uganda
"The Global malaria situation is very serious with 90% of malaria cases occurring in Sub Saharan Africa. This poses a severe burden on the people affected especially so because Malaria leads to reduced work output, reduced performance levels, congestion of the fragile health systems, loss of revenue and above all the disease is responsible for a significant portion of life years lost due to premature death. Cognisance of this fact should propel all of us to unite under a Public Private Partnership and reverse this trend through proven prevention and treatment interventions.
Quality Chemical Industries Ltd, as a Private sector Partner in this initiative, fully supports World Malaria Day and the role that Malaria Consortium plays in this regard."
Emmanuel Katongole
Chief Executive Officer, Quality Chemical Industries Ltd
"
2008 sees the first World Malaria Day, a hugely important opportunity to focus the global spotlight on malaria. Malaria kills 3,000 children each day and more than one million each year – those most at risk are poor, remote rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, malaria can be easily and cheaply prevented and treated. AMREF works to reach those most vulnerable to the disease by training and supporting community volunteers and health professionals to support poor, remote African communities through simple but effective malaria prevention, education and treatment.
Concerted effort is needed from the international community to respond to this disease. We need to strengthen health systems and ensure those most at risk are at the heart of this work. I hope that World Malaria Day will be a catalyst for action for the international community to renew their ongoing commitment to halt and begin to reverse this killer disease."
Jo Ensor, Chief Executive
African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF)
'I certainly take malaria very seriously indeed and am well aware not only of the 1 million people who die from it each year but also of the disabling effects malaria related morbidity has on people’s lives in many poor countries. Here at the LSE we have a growing interest in and awareness of the contribution the social sciences can make to understanding infectious disease events .
Our long standing public lecture series on HIV/AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases draws the attention of the wider public to the burden of infectious diseases on international health and welfare. In February of this year, we had the great pleasure to host a public lecture by Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. In addition, our work on climate change will inevitably engage with the ways global warming could impact on the extent of malaria by increasing the range of the mosquitoes and therefore creating challenges to economic progress in some of the world’s already most impoverishes countries.'
Sir Howard Davies
Director, London School of Economics
'World Malaria Day is an outstanding event to increase momentum in the fight against malaria. This fight is about political will, economic sense and enlightened self-interest. Malaria is not just a problem of the South. In our global village we are interlinked in ways we never thought conceivable a generation ago. Terrorism, germs, people, services don’t stop at borders. Indeed, healthy people are a sufficient condition for development, stability and prosperity, which we all benefit from. Moreover, there are significant economic multiplyer effects connected to a rapid scale-up of effective malaria interventions. The European Alliance Against Malaria will therefore continue to call for rapid scale-up, with trans-national events taking place in a list of European countries on World Malaria Day to galvanize support'.
Marcus Lens van Rijn
Project Manager, European Alliance Against Malaria
'The fight to rid the world of malaria once and for all will not a brief campaign, but one that takes decades. More than ever we must all now join forces and be prepared for the long haul. In this context 2008 is an important transition year for MMV. After years of research and development the first of our partnership products will reach the market. Coartem Dispersible is an artemisinin combination therapy that has been especially formulated for malaria's main victims, young children of the rural poor. MMV fully supports World Malaria Day and the many events associated with it - but fundamentally we and our many partners are working towards a future that can celebrate Malaria Eradication Day.'
Dr Chris Hentschel
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicines for Malaria Venture
"There is no greater prize open for the world to grasp than preventing and successfully treating the 500 million cases of malaria each year, and above all to prevent the 1 million deaths mainly of young children and pregnant mothers. All it takes is greater understanding leading to the will of the world's people agreeing the resources necessary to combat this wholly avoidable scourge. World Malaria Day is our chance to throw a spotlight on this opportunity for the world to save lives and enable the most vulnerable people to lead healthy and hopeful lives"
Stephen O'Brien MP
Chairman Malaria Consortium, Chairman All Party Parliamentary Malaria Group (U.K.).
"I have seen, at first hand, how debilitating a disease Malaria is for those who suffer from it. From my home parish priest, a survivor of Japanese POW camps, to colleagues in Africa, it is dreadful to see what it does to people knowing that so much could be done to eradicate it. This day reminds us that we have much still to do!"
