One year on from the Commonwealth commitments
One year on from the Commonwealth commitments
One year ago, all Commonwealth Heads of State got together at the London Malaria Summit to discuss ways we can work together towards the elimination of malaria. The result was unprecedented: all 53 Commonwealth country leaders made pledges totalling £2.9 billion and agreed a collective commitment to halve malaria in the Commonwealth by 2023!
The Commonwealth leaders’ commitment will save 650,000 lives and prevent 350 million cases over the next five years, but we need to ensure that promises are being kept. 90% of Commonwealth citizens live in malaria-affected countries, so it’s imperative that resources are mobilised to change the lives of millions of people at risk of humankind’s deadliest disease. One year on, we gathered back together at the Science Museum in London to hear how progress is being made in the journey to end malaria, and what it would take to halve malaria in the Commonwealth by 2023.
The event, moderated by Malaria No More UK Trustee Dr. Linda Yueh, involved a high-level panel discussion chaired by Dr Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, the Chair of the Board of RBM, and included the Deputy Director General of the WHO, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Joy Phumaphi of ALMA, Ken Staley of PMI, Matthew Rycroft of the UK government. Also, Peter Sands of The Global Fund and the High Commissioner of the Rwandan government, Her Excellency Yamina Karitanyi. All the panellists committed to continue to play a central role in driving forward progress and making sure the Commonwealth meets its malaria commitments by 2023 and beyond.
We need to see last year’s commitments turn into actions.
After the panel discussion, we delivered honours recognising and celebrating some of the efforts made to fight malaria across the Commonwealth:
- National Leadership Honour was for Her Excellency Yamina Karitanyi, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda
- Multisector Partnership Honour was for Dr. Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, from RBM
- Partnership Innovation Honour went to Rt. Hon. Stephen O’Brien, APPG on Malaria and NTDs
- Business Fighting Malaria Honour was for Tim Warrillow, CEO of Fever Tree Mixers
- National Advocacy Honour was for Hon. Moses Baleyeku, from Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Malaria
- Community Engagement Honour went to Chris Flowers, founder of JC Flowers Foundation
