News release: Malaria Consortium Announces New Innovation Grants for Malaria Advocacy in Africa

London, 9/05/07. Malaria Consortium announced today the launch of Grants to promote and encourage new and innovative advocacy initiatives by African organisations in Africa.

The Innovation Grants are part of Mobilising for Malaria, an advocacy programme supported by GlaxoSmithKline’s African Malaria Partnership and will be awarded for one year maximum. Global advocacy efforts from donor countries have contributed to bringing malaria to the world’s attention. Now there is a real need for advocates from malaria endemic countries to mobilise people and decision-makers and encourage policy changes to ensure additional funding and interventions reach those who need them most in their own countries. These grants will support civil society organizations or institutions, media or community leaders and others to engage in highlighting the burden of malaria in Africa.

These Innovation Grants will support ideas and partnerships that aim to reach new audiences in creative ways and tackle difficult issues such as equity, transparency and accountability in Africa. Audiences could include decision makers at national or regional levels, politicians, media persons, ministries, international organizations or local leaders. These grants also aim to encourage the engagement of artists to amplify advocacy messages in African countries.

Wilfred Mbacham (Co-Chair of the Malaria Advocacy Working Group, RBM Partnership Secretariat Geneva and Executive Secretary, Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (CCAM)) said: “Following on the successful formation of advocacy coalitions against malaria in several African countries, the Innovation Grants will further the impact of civil society groups, including media and NGOs, on mobilising the public and decision makers through creative projects and partnerships.”

The Malaria Consortium is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the control of malaria, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable people in Africa. The Malaria Consortium works through a regional centre of expertise based in Uganda and offices in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, and Sudan.

Mobilising for Malaria is an advocacy programme which aims to raise awareness of malaria in Europe and throughout Africa to bring greater resources to bear against the disease. This programme recognises the unique role and urgently needed contribution of civil society in the global malaria advocacy movement. It seeks to promote ‘coalitions against malaria’ which encourage partnership working and collaboration between all civil society actors not only in their own countries but through North-South joint initiatives in order to increase public and political awareness and support for an effective and sustained response to Malaria at global, national and local levels.

The GlaxoSmithKline African Malaria Partnership (AMP) was established in 2001 to support effective community-focused responses to improve the prevention and treatment of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.