World leaders pledge big to fight malaria

Last week, leaders came together to make incredible pledges to help fight malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Governments, the private sector, and philanthropists have all pledged to help to accelerate the global fight to beat these deadly diseases with commitments totalling more than $4 billion.

These come on the back of a rallying call from young people around the world who are demanding urgent action from leaders to end malaria within a generation. As part of The Zero Malaria Starts With Me Draw The Line Against Malaria campaign, thousands of young people signed the crowdsourced petition, known as the Muundo.

At the Kigali Summit, the Muundo was delivered to leaders by young people from across the world to demand investment and action with the support of malaria activists, scientists, health workers and changemakers that included David Beckham, Yemi Alade, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon.

By uniting behind the Zero Malaria campaign, they delivered a message to end the apathy and give hope that we can be the generation to end one of humanities’ oldest and deadliest diseases, that is still taking a child’s life every minute.

These $4 billion commitments come at a time when malaria is on the resurgence and funding to beat them has plateaued in recent years – despite more than two decades of progress.

The Summit, hosted by the Rwandan Government, had powerful speeches from HRH Prince of Wales, His Excellency President Kagame, Melinda French Gates, and World Health Organisation’s Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.