United Against Malaria represents a diverse group of partners – national football teams, African corporations, policymakers, NGOs -– all committed to reaching the malaria community’s No. 1 goal: reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.

During Africa’s premier football championship, Africa Cup of Nations, hosted this year by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, several of the continent’s most popular football stars are doing more than showcasing their moves on the pitch … they are partnering with United Against Malaria to deliver life-saving messages about malaria prevention and treatment, helping protect fans and save lives.

Six players are lending their voices to a new series of PSAs that are airing in countries across Africa throughout the tournament:

Malaria is preventable and treatable, but a child still dies from the disease every 45 seconds. The United Against Malaria PSA series aims to tap into the popularity of these football stars and their sport to educate fans on the simple steps that can help protect them and their families from malaria, including sleeping under treated mosquito nets and seeking medical assistance at the first sign of fever.

“United, we can beat malaria,” the football stars urge viewers in the new PSAs.

Their support, along with the help of key African partners including Marathon Oil and Standard Bank, who are extending messaging further through billboards and educational materials, is helping United Against Malaria reach these fans in a powerful way.

To learn more about the football community’s commitment to the fight against malaria, and to view the new PSAs, please visit our website at www.UnitedAgainstMalaria.org.

As how Hicks explains it:

The Lifelens Smartphone app is simple. Take a drop of blood from a patient and put it on a slide with a marker, a dye that only the malarial parasite can absorb. Then, take an image of that slide with the Smartphone equipped with a tiny lens giving 350 times magnification and you can see the blood cells at the cellular level. With the image captured in the Smartphone you can take a cell count using a detection algorithm that identifies different artifacts in the image that identifies red blood cells and from there, you can identify the malaria within those red blood cells. Once the Lifelens’ app identifies the cells, data can be pushed to the web including the GPS coordinates of that case which allow healthcare works or scientists to see trends as well as where malaria outbreaks are occurring. There is also a web portal feature that can put all of the information they have on cases and lay over a mobile map giving a universal snapshot of where malaria is clustered globally.

The Lifelens app of course is just one example of how smartphone technology is leading to major breakthroughs in combatting extreme poverty and infectious disease. What other examples have you noticed recently?

Photo credit: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

After spending the first day at the Gates Foundation’s Malaria Forum, I can report without question that Seattle is — excuse the pun — buzzing with excitement over the work that’s been done to fight this deadly disease. Hundreds of the world’s foremost malaria scientists and advocates have gathered, #endmalaria is trending on twitter here, and dozens of panels and videos have highlighted the remarkable progress we’ve made in the malaria agenda.

As is commonplace for these types of events, there were a number of announcements to kick things off. We learned from the Roll Back Malaria partnership that nearly a third of all malaria affected countries on course for elimination over the next decade — a truly remarkable possibility that would save millions more lives. We heard from WHO Executive Director Margaret Chan that, just weeks ago, Armenia was officially certified as malaria-free, adding its name to a growing list of countries that have eliminated the disease. And we’ve been told that more exciting news is set to come over the course of the Forum this week.

These announcements certainly make up the first half of the Forum’s “Optimism and Urgency” tag line, and a sense of urgency was also reinforced by other panelists’ remarks. Gates Foundation CEO Jeff Raikes noted that “the bigger the aspiration [on malaria], the more ambiguous the solution, and the more ambiguous the solution, the more important it is to have a rich intellectual dialogue” to best determine how we tackle this disease as a community. Malaria still kills nearly 800,000 people each year and is still rampant in some of the world’s toughest countries, so a push toward elimination and eradication is an obvious challenge. One panelist, Rob Newman from the WHO, also stressed that as we scale up commodities (drugs, bed nets, etc) and research for new tools, we must also do a better job of building human capacity to deliver these many pieces in a consistent way.

We also have lessons to learn and hope to gain from efforts to eradicate other diseases, like smallpox (eradication complete) or guinea worm (down to just a few thousand cases). Ciro de Quadros, who led smallpox eradication efforts in Latin America, stressed that we need to “hit hard the hardest hit” — in other words, we can’t ease up on a country or community just because it’s challenging. And Frank Richards, who leads on guinea worm efforts for the Carter Center, noted the importance of having “high-profile advocates for low-profile diseases”.

I’m heading into Day 2 of the Forum now, and will keep you posted with what I anticipate is big news from Bill and Melinda Gates later today!

Malaria No More and ONE are looking for passionate individuals to apply to the third course of the Malaria Griots Project! Based on outstanding success in the first two courses, we are eager to start teaching another class of Malaria Griots how to be advocates in their communities and to help achieve the first great humanitarian victory of this century -– an end to malaria deaths.

In West Africa, a Griot is a storyteller, a singer, a history keeper and an agent of cultural change. Echoing this tradition, Malaria Griots will learn to be powerful spokespersons in the fight against malaria. Through this online course, you find out about the innovative tools being used to end malaria deaths, and what the US is doing to fight malaria through the President’s Malaria Initiative and through contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. You will learn how to effectively convey your message –- whether when speaking to a policymaker, writing an op-ed or speaking at an event.

Selected Malaria Griots will take place in an eight week, in-depth course -– which will be housed on Blackboard Inc.’s online learning ProSitesTM platform -– that will include live discussions with leading malaria experts, access to cutting edge articles, and the opportunity to participate in current malaria campaigns. As a Malaria Griot, you will witness stories of Africans fighting to overcome the disease, work with engaging multimedia content, and ultimately become a leading advocate in the fight against malaria.

This is your opportunity to get involved and start making a difference — because with ONE voice we can make Malaria No More. Apply to be a Malaria Griot today!

What You’ll Do

What We’re Looking For

What You’ll Walk Away With

Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against malaria and reaching the goal of zero malaria deaths is back in sight. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership released a report highlighting a decade of progress in malaria control since the Partnership’s formation. Globally, malaria deaths have been reduced by an estimated 38 percent with 10 African countries and Zanzibar cutting malaria cases and deaths by 50 percent or more since 2000. More than 400 million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets had been delivered to African countries by end of 2010, enough to cover nearly 80 percent of people at risk of malaria in the whole of Africa. These efforts are paying off: in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the lives of 1.1 million children under five have been saved.

With more endemic countries reaching universal coverage and reducing malaria deaths, the Partnership has refined its goals, making them more ambitious and taking into account the challenges they face moving forward. The Partnership has updated three new primary objectives for the Global Malaria Action Plan by 2015 include reducing global malaria deaths to near zero, reducing global malaria cases by 75 percent (from 2000 levels), and eliminating malaria in 10 new countries (since 2008) and in the WHO European Region. In the first decade, the Partnership has led and contributed to major changes in malaria control, including new policies and systems for bed nets, indoor residual spraying, prevention in pregnancy, and diagnosis and treatment; and systems for monitoring program action and progress.

Nevertheless, progress in malaria control is fragile and incomplete. Malaria remains a global problem that threatens nearly 3 billion people and accounts for 16 percent of child deaths in Africa. Moving forward, renewed and continued commitment for malaria control is necessary to preserve gains. Incorporating a range of new tools, including a possible malaria vaccine, will be critical as threats including growing insecticide resistance and waning funding for public health emerge.

A few weeks ago, the US Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution to honor World Malaria Day, reaffirming US dedication to the fight against malaria (read more about malaria here). The resolution recognizes the importance of combating malaria and supports the goals of World Malaria Day, including ending deaths caused by malaria by 2015.

Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the resolution. Leaders in working to eradicate malaria, they also co-chair the Senate Working Group on Malaria.

“During my time studying and working in Africa, I witnessed first-hand the havoc that malaria has and on entire villages, especially on women, children, and those most in need and susceptible,” Sen. Coons said in a release. With this resolution, they aim to raise awareness of the effects of this preventable disease that kills three million people a year, 90 percent of them in Africa, and prevents millions more from leading productive lives.

It is estimated that malaria costs sub-Saharan Africa $12 billion every year in lost economic productivity, tourism, foreign investment and trade. Sen. Wicker’s statement emphasized that, “Work to advance global health is not only our moral responsibility, it is also a powerful tool for international security and diplomacy.”

Key components of the resolution:

Eight additional senators co-sponsored the resolution: John Boozman (R-AK), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

ONE thanks these Senators for their continued dedication to fighting this debilitating yet preventable disease.

Malaria, a disease which causes death, severe anemia, miscarriages, low birth weights and increased risk for mother-to-child HIV transmission was eliminated from the United States and Europe in 1970. Today, the disease remains endemic in 106 nations, with 90 percent of malaria deaths occurring in Africa. Yeah, you read that right — a disease that was eliminated decades ago in the West is still killing an estimated three-quarters of a million people each year. To be exact, malaria kills a child in Africa every 45 seconds.

The global malaria community recognizes that stronger and more collaborative efforts are critical to eradicate this deadly, but preventable disease. From 2000 to 2006, there was a 50 percent decrease in malaria through the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor home spraying and preventative drug treatments.

The problem is that tools and medicines used to prevent and eliminate malaria are becoming increasingly weak. Mosquitoes have grown resistant to insecticides used in sprays and bed nets. And, even more problematic, malaria parasites are becoming unaffected by artemisinin, the key component of current treatment.

To address malaria head on, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Medicines for Malaria Venture and other donors to research and invest in new methods for elimination and prevention. To better understand the new techniques being developed, the Gates Foundation created an infographic called “We Can End Malaria.”

As you can see from this infographic, the use of new tools and medicines show just how far sustained efforts can go in eliminating malaria. You can even click individual African countries and get exact numbers on how many lives can be saved.

Of course, eradicating malaria is a long-term challenge that demands collaborative partnerships and continued research on new treatments and vaccines. Although numerous challenges persist, it is promising and encouraging to see the new and improved steps in the path to eradication.

In 2008, scientists studying 3,500-year-old Egyptian mummies made a fascinating discovery. They peered into the DNA of these ancient humans and saw evidence of something every modern African mother and father still fears: the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite, the most deadly malaria parasite in the world and one that today continues to kill some 780,000 people each year—most of them very young African children.

The resiliency of malaria across many millennia is remarkable, which is why it is equally remarkable to believe that this disease can be eradicated. Is this just wishful thinking? Actually, the swelling of confidence in the malaria research community is justified. A key reason for this optimism is that a 16-year surge in malaria research and development funding is forging the strongest arsenal of malaria weapons ever assembled.

A new report out today offers a detailed assessment of what has happened to malaria R&D since 1998, when the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership was launched by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme to mobilize a broad-based response against this treatable and preventable disease. Prepared by the non-profit research group Policy Cures, the report documents how the rapid infusion of R&D funds into the fight against malaria is fueling the development of new drugs, diagnostics, insecticides, and a vaccine that is now in the final phase of clinical testing.

Some of the new interventions already are being deployed. They have helped reduce the malaria burden over the last ten years. According to the World Health Organization, in recent years, 11 African countries have achieved a 50 percent reduction in either confirmed malaria cases or malaria-related hospital admissions and deaths. In places like the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, KwaZulu Natal, and Eritrea we have seen spectacular decreases in the burden of malaria.

But we want to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the last eradication campaign, launched in 1955. It succeeded in eliminating malaria from Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia and South and Central America. But about a decade later, the drugs and insecticides that were at the vanguard of that fight lost their effectiveness. Countries like Sri Lanka, which had come close to conquering the disease, experienced a resurgence. By 1969, the global fight had faltered and malaria was allowed to rage unchecked among some of the poorest populations in the world.

The 2008 Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) provided a blueprint for a new push for eradication, and strong funding for malaria R&D was major component of the plan. Indeed, developing new tools will be essential to vanquishing malaria as we once again see the eminently adaptable parasite showing signs of resistance to our most effective insecticides and medicines.

The report from Policy Cures clearly demonstrates that malaria is no longer the neglected step-child of disease R&D that it was less than 20 years ago. Funding for malaria research has risen from US$121 million in 1993 to US$612 million in 2009. We also have a strong new cadre of malaria R&D groups guiding the work, including Medicines for Malaria Venture, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, the Innovative Vector Control Consortium, and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics.

But let’s not mistake progress with victory. Many products in the pipeline are very advanced, but they will still require new investments to make it to market. During this decade, donors need to maintain and modestly increase their funding—from the 2009 level of US$612 million to US$690 million—between now and 2015, with a 15 percent surge around 2016 to get the most promising innovations through the final stages of clinical development. If this happens, donors should be able to decrease their investments by about 5 percent a year through 2020. Five years of relatively small investments to make major progress against a disease that has been plaguing humanity for thousands of years is a bargain.

The discovery of malaria in the DNA of the ancient Egyptians was greeted in much of the world as an interesting scientific curiosity, an artifact of ancient history. I am confident that if the global community follows through on its commitment to bring new energy and funding to the fight against malaria, then one day the children of Africa can enjoy the experience of studying malaria as an artifact of history, instead of a daily reality that all too often ends in death.

On Tuesday, a bipartisan resolution passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to commemorate World Malaria Day and to reaffirm the United States leadership and support for efforts to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative. The resolution is sponsored by the co-chairs of the Senate World Group on Malaria — Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Last week, both senators spoke at an event co-hosted by ONE and other organizations to educate congressional staff about malaria and the critical need to continue to fund efforts to stop it. For millions of people around the world, a simple mosquito bite can have deadly consequences. A disease eradicated in the United States in 1949, malaria still kills approximately 781,000 people every year — mostly children, infants and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria is an entirely preventable disease with cost-effective solutions for those infected. Bed nets to protect against malaria cost $10 and medicines to cure malaria cost roughly $6 to 10 per dose. Millions more people now have access to these tools thanks to an increase in resources to fight malaria, and as a result, certain countries are beginning to see dramatic improvements. Eleven African countries have cut malaria deaths in half in the last few years. The Global Fund is the largest funder of anti-malaria efforts and has distributed 122 million bed nets.

Other senators who cosponsored the initiative are: Senators John Boozman (R-Ariz.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). ONE thanks these senators for their efforts to bring attention to an often forgotten disease.

John outside of the newly built state of the art research facility

How has malaria impacted your community?
Malaria’s devastating impact on my community’s children and their families is readily apparent, despite reports that malaria incidence is declining globally. Every single day, children and pregnant women are brought to our local clinics with this terrible disease, and many die from its effects. Beyond malaria’s medical impact, families are affected economically –- even despite free medical treatment for under-fives -– largely due to high transportation costs and lost productivity when sick children require care. Children lucky enough to survive severe malaria often have mental impairments that prevent them from attending school. Older children are also often forced to stay home from school to take care of their sick brothers or sisters so their parents can go work on the farms, especially during farming season.

What is the focus of your research at the trial site in Tanzania?
In Korogwe, I lead a team of investigators who are participating in the multi-center Phase 3 RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate trial across seven countries in Africa. The malaria vaccine candidate has been produced by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and supported by the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We hope that a malaria vaccine will complement existing tools to control malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, including bed nets, indoor residual spraying and treatment with artemisinin based combination therapies. The malaria vaccine candidate, once licensed and made available, could be included in standard immunization programs in malaria-endemic regions of Africa and help save countless lives.

John showing a malaria diagnostic test done on the infant pictured just moments before

How did you get involved in malaria research?
When I was young, I would often go to the farms in the lowland communities near Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with my parents during rainy season. I would always head back to the mountains at night for fear of being bitten by mosquitoes, which I knew could lead to a disease known as itheng’u by the Pare tribe (translated into malaria). As a result, I never suffered from malaria until the age of 16, when I went to secondary school in the lowland community of Moshi. I had repeated episodes for almost 10 years after my initial infection, after which I did not suffer from malaria for many years. I wondered why this had happened. In my postgraduate medical studies, I researched how to mimic the natural immunity to malaria I had developed and studied whether it could be applied to children. Children born in malaria-endemic communities do not have complete immunity to malaria. But if we can put something in their bodies that can boost their immunity when they are young and most vulnerable to malaria –- like a vaccine –- we can help prevent them from contracting and even dying from the disease.

John examining a patient in the pediatric ward of Korogwe District Hospital

How will this research help improve the livelihood of people in your community?
Once licensed and deployed, the malaria vaccine candidate could complement existing interventions and begin protecting children from malaria and saving lives, which could have a tremendous impact on my community. Children will be able to go to school and parents to work, dramatically reducing the social and economic burdens of the disease.

In the meantime, though, we have also benefited significantly from massive investments in training and infrastructure in the communities where the clinical trial is being conducted. In Korogwe, teams of staff have been trained to conduct trials according to international standards. A fully-equipped modern laboratory that specializes in parasitology, hematology, biochemistry and microbiology has been built and is now fully functioning. Our vaccine ‘cold chain,’ X-ray services, pediatric care, and referral systems have all been enhanced. Important health services are also provided to both participants and non-participants in the trial, and community members’ compliance with treatment and attitudes toward health-seeking behavior have improved.

What message would you like to share with ONE members on World Malaria Day?
Let us join our efforts to help ensure that a malaria vaccine is added to our current arsenal of malaria interventions. A vaccine could complement our existing tools and help further prevent Africa’s children from needlessly dying from this terrible disease.

Dr. John Lusingu, MD, Ph.D is a Principal Research Scientist at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania and a postdoctoral fellow of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a Principal Investigator for the RTS,S Phase 3 malaria vaccine candidate trial in Korogwe, Tanzania.

Photo credit: John Michael Maas/ Darby Communications