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Latest News Breakfast on economics of fighting malaria

EVENT: Malaria Consortium/Financial Times host breakfast on economics of fighting malaria

7 October 2009

London: Malaria Consortium, co-hosted with the Financial Times (FT), a highly successful breakfast briefing today, focusing on The Economics of Fighting Malaria. The event attracted participants from among the corporate sector, as well as representatives from business associations and interested individuals. 

The three speakers at the event were Andrew Jack, lead pharmaceuticals correspondent for the FT, Eleanor Fraser, corporate social responsibility manager for Marathon Oil, and Sunil Mehra, executive director of Malaria Consortium. They each gave engaging presentations regarding the current status of the global malaria challenge, Marathon’s public private partnership in Equatorial Guinea, and aspects of investing in malaria.

The main purpose of the event was to engage participants from a wide range of sectors in a stimulating discussion concerning ways to maximise investments in malaria.

“Greater funding, attention and ‘tools’ to tackle malaria offer greater hopes than ever before to tackle a disease that has a huge impact on human wellbeing and economic development,” said Mr Jack. “There are many ways in which companies and other organisations need to become more involved to have a direct impact.”

In his presentation, Mr Mehra explained how malaria control is cost effective, especially when compared to interventions for other diseases. He commented on how costs saved through rapid scale-up enable reinvestment in other health programs, while the lower incidence of malaria can reduce poverty by improving individuals’ productivity and ability to work.

“The public and private sector and civil society are working together and produce impressive results,” he said. “Ethiopia, Rwanda and Eritrea have all reduced malaria deaths by more than 50% in just a few years by using proven interventions like insecticide-treated mosquito nets for prevention and anti-malarials for treatment.”

For more information concering this briefing, please contact
Peter Newton, Director of Programmes and Business Development on +44 (0)20 7549 0207; [email protected]
Diana Thomas, Media and Communications Manager on +44 (0)20 7549 0254; [email protected]


 

 

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