Comic Relief Invests £6.3m to Tackle Malaria

Just days ahead of World Malaria Day 2009 Comic Relief has awarded £6.3m in funding to Malaria Consortium and the Global Fund to help protect over 1m people in Africa from malaria.

Comic Relief selected Malaria Consortium and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as recipients of these awards to ensure that long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) and life-saving drugs reach malaria-affected communities quickly. The charity has awarded £4.3m to Malaria Consortium, the world’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the control of malaria, because it has staff already on the ground in malaria-endemic countries with local insight and practical tools to respond to this critical challenge. A further £2m will be channelled through the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the main international financing agency for malaria programmes worldwide.

Malaria is the biggest killer of children under five in Africa yet it is easily preventable with LLINs and treatable with cost-effective drugs. In today’s economic climate it is more important than ever to invest in “smarter solutions” in malaria control, to invest in programmes that are proven to work and that offer value for money.

The £6.3m for these grants was raised this Red Nose Day, with initiatives including nine celebrities successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to help raise funds and awareness of malaria. These grants will be used to purchase and distribute more than one million LLINs, educate people to spot the symptoms of malaria early and to support health services enabling people living in malaria-affected communities to be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively.

Kevin Cahill, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Thanks to the immense support of the British public this Red Nose Day, Comic Relief now has the money to buy the nets to help protect more than 1 million people in Africa from malaria – where a child is killed by the disease every 30 seconds. It’s vital that we ensure these funds are spent smartly and help those who need it quickly and effectively. To make sure this happens we are delighted to be working with Malaria Consortium and the Global Fund who bring with them real expertise and experience. They will use the money they receive from us to make a big impact in some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.”

Sunil Mehra, Executive Director of Malaria Consortium said: “Malaria Consortium has a responsibility and a commitment both to people living in malaria-affected regions, and to the British public that so generously donated to Comic Relief, to use this grant to get life-saving nets and treatments to people that desperately need them. People in malaria endemic communities will quickly see the benefits of this landmark grant.”

Dr Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund said: “Now is a key moment for the Global Fund and the global effort to defeat malaria. This new and exciting partnership with Comic Relief brings together organisations committed to tackling this devastating yet preventable and treatable disease. Comic Relief is making an important statement at this critical moment, reflecting the need to continue the flow of funds to turn the tide decisively against malaria.”