Children holding a new mosquito net in Namibia - a malaria elimination country

There are less than 1000 days left until we reach the 2015 deadline set by the UN as part of the Millennium Development Goals to halt and start to roll back malaria. Are we on track? Yes, says our Executive Director James Whiting, but if we are to defeat malaria we must keep up the funding and political will.

In the 1980’s and 90’s death rates from malaria grew dramatically. One of the relatively unsung human achievements of this century is to have begun to reverse this deadly trend, with the deaths from malaria down by 26% around the world. The World Health Organization estimates that over one million children’s lives have been saved by the malaria campaign in the last decade. This is thanks to a well coordinated international campaign involving scientists, donor and domestic governments, NGO’s, business, and UN institutions, and the mass spread of insecticide-treated nets, treatment and diagnostic tests. Nets, treatment and tests all cost under £5 so this is a hugely effective way to reduce mortality rates, particularly for children under five years old (who make up over 90% of malaria deaths in Africa).

At the All-Party Parliamentary Group with Jeremy Lefroy MP

By Megan Owen, Malaria No More UK Supporter

My name’s Megan Owen and I’m in the sixth form at a school in Stafford. When I was 11 years old, I went to live in Malawi for 5 years, where I was inspired to become a doctor after seeing all the valuable work the doctors do out there, despite the poverty and tough conditions. When I returned to the UK, I began to fundraise and campaign for Malaria No More UK, as I wanted to make a difference straight away.

In the run up to World Malaria Day I travelled down to London to give a presentation about malaria to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (APPMG), in Westminster. The evening was organized by Jeremy Lefroy MP, chair of the APPMG, to mark World Malaria Day on 25 April.

Writer Richard Curtis; Europe Director of ONE Adrian Lovett; and Malaria No More UK Special Ambassador Jo Yirrell

By Jo Yirrell, Special Ambassador for Malaria No More UK

Last night I was rubbing shoulders in Brussels with a fascinating group of people – from politicians and business leaders to staff from ONE, a campaigning organisation that fights extreme poverty, and representatives from The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We were with Richard Curtis for a screening of his latest film “Mary and Martha”. ”. It’s a story about two mothers who have nothing in common except their shared loss of their sons through malaria. I was there because I share their story, I lost my son Harry to malaria and my own experience is reflected in the character of Martha.

Uniting to fight malaria James Whiting, Justine Greening, Jo Yirrell and Baroness Hayman

Last night we welcomed 150 guests from the worlds of politics, economics, global health and entertainment to mark action on malaria. Our reception at House of Lords was hosted by the Rt Hon Baroness Hayman GBE with speakers economics expert Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Baroness Northover, Government Spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development and British mum Jo Yirrell, whose own story inspired a pivotal character in ‘Mary & Martha’ the recent film by Richard Curtis.

The backdrop to our event was the UK’s leadership in the global fight malaria: All three major UK political parties made a commitment to tackle malaria as part of their 2010 manifestos, a pledge that has been carried through by the Coalition Government. Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated this commitment

Jo Yirrell, Special Ambassador for Malaria No More UK, lost her son Harry to malaria in 2005

Mary and Martha is the new TV film written by Richard Curtis starring Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethlyn, about two women who have little in common apart from one terrible thing – they both lose sons to malaria. Mary takes her young son from America to Africa promising adventure and fun, until he falls ill with malaria, while British mother Martha loses her son while he is working as a volunteer in Mozambique. Both mothers are inspired by their devastating losses to go on epic journeys to try and make a difference in the world. You can see Mary and Martha on BBC1 tonight at 8.30pm.

Our Special Ambassador Jo Yirrell, is the British mum whose own story was a source of inspiration for the film and the character of Martha. In 2005, Jo tragically lost her 20 year old son Harry to malaria. He returned home from Ghana where he had spent four of the happiest months of his life volunteering in a school. Jo remembers: “He fell in love with the place, so much so that his first words on returning were: “I’m going back”. Harry had really found himself and his purpose in Africa”.

Davos lights up in support of the Big Push

As the bunting was taken down from Capitol Hill in Washington DC last Tuesday morning, the centre of the political world shifted to the small Swiss village of Davos, host to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF).

This was also a chance to emphasise to global leaders the incredible individual, social and economic benefits that could be achieved if we succeed in our aim to defeat malaria. Building on the impressive progress that has already been made, the event highlighted the incredible potential we could release by investing now. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria drew attention to “The Big Push”, the Fund’s big effort to rally support to achieve the global health goals for AIDS, TB and malaria that have until recently seemed impossibly out of reach. Charlize Theron was honoured for the work of her foundation fighting HIV in South Africa, and had her picture taken as part of The Big Push campaign.

One of the United Against Malaria billboards in Uganda

On 19 January this year, the eyes of the footballing world turned to South Africa for the first match of the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations. In addition to the breadth of athletic talent and the fervour of the crowds, viewers tuning in to games will also see some of the continent’s biggest names lending their support to a continent-wide campaign against malaria.

The tie up between United Against Malaria and the Africa Cup of Nations aims to draw on Africa’s footballing fervour to raise awareness about malaria in even the continent’s most remote locations. Viewers will see global superstars such as Didier Drogba (himself a malaria survivor) and Samuel Eto’o in television adverts that will be aired at half time in every game. The adverts will be broadcast on all ten Pan-African television channels, and run side by side with radio ads and prominently placed billboards featuring a host of football stars in addition to Drogba and Eto’o, such as Chris Katongo, Steven Pienaar and Degu Debebe.

During the past decade, a concerted effort by endemic countries, donors and global malaria partners led to strengthened malaria control around the world. Increased access to life saving tools to prevent and control malaria had the greatest impact in countries with high malaria transmission; 58% of the 1.1 million lives saved during this period were in the ten countries with the highest burden of malaria.

However, after a rapid expansion between 2004 and 2009, global funding levelled off and progress in the delivery of some life-saving commodities has slowed. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Malaria Report 2012, these developments are signs of a slowdown that could threaten to reverse the remarkable recent gains in the fight against one of the world’s leading infectious killers.

Deepika Kandula from the Southern Africa Malaria Elimination Support Team (a partnership between the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Global Health Group, UCSF) reports back from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference in Atlanta.

Earlier this month, the global health community descended on Atlanta for the 61st annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Tomorrow in London, David Cameron will co-chair the second meeting of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on the future strategy to fight global poverty.

There are just three years to go until the target date for achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These eight goals have given a historic local and global focus to efforts to tackle the big health and development issues including malaria, with Goal Six including a specific target to ‘halt and reverse the spread of malaria by 2015’. Considerable steps have been taken towards achieving these goals over the last decade, with malaria standing out as an example of progress and momentum with millions of lives transformed and global deaths cut by 26%.