Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria.
Maputo, April 21, 2022. Vestergaard, manufacturers of PermaNet ® mosquito nets, and Goodbye Malaria, an African run initiative to eliminate malaria in Southern Africa, have partnered with the Mozambican Ministry of Health to mark World Malaria Day 2022 on 25 April 2022.
The partners will be hosting a plenary session at Polana Serena, Maputo. The event provides a platform to renew the power of partnerships in the fight against malaria as well as the opportunity to engage with the Mozambican Private Sector to commit to keeping malaria at the top of the National agenda.
Attendees are representatives from the Ministry of Health of Mozambique, development partners and captains of the private sector who will be pledging their support to eliminate malaria. Vestergaard and Goodbye Malaria collaborate to support the Mozambican government's efforts, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria ambition, to Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria. Together they aim to provide a platform for private sector engagement and support of the national malaria strategy, and find solutions for the urgent need for renewed action to eliminate malaria in Mozambique.
Patrick Sieyes, Head of Global Growth at Vestergaard said: “World Malaria Day is a great time to recognise the progress made in the daily fight against malaria as well as a time to identify gaps and set new goals. As a major private sector partner in the malaria community, we are professionally dedicated to the fight to end malaria with new innovations and effective, long lasting solutions. We support the Global Fund’s replenishment goals to raise $18 billion to save 20 million lives. We believe that the private sector can contribute to more equitable access to malaria commodities and to a more resilient supply chain through long-term strategic supply collaborations with key institutions and country malaria programs. We call for a partnership approach to planning, procurement and distribution of malaria commodities, one which leverages the private sector’s full set of capabilities.”
Sherwin Charles, Co-Founder and CEO, Goodbye Malaria said; “We have made considerable progress towards malaria elimination through innovative partnership and cross-border collaboration between governments of Mozambique, South Africa and Eswatini, The Global Fund and the private sector. These public-private partnerships allow for the acceleration of interventions and innovations including targeted delivery of new malaria interventions, improved supply chains, and stronger surveillance and lab capacity, as well as targeted scale-up of existing and new tools, such as the new malaria vaccine (RTS,S). We are confident that we can end the scourge of malaria and free valuable resources to be deployed to other public health issues. As malaria knows no borders, the only way to combat this disease is together.”
Malaria is endemic in Mozambique. According to the World Malaria Report 2021, Mozambique is among the six countries that accounted for more than half of all malaria cases and deaths worldwide (4 percent of global cases and deaths). The country also has the second highest prevalence of malaria in Eastern and Southern Africa (17.2 per cent). “Mozambique should be applauded for the significant progress made in preventing malaria in the past decade,” says Patrick Sieyes. “This deployment of life-saving interventions such as bed nets and preventive treatment for pregnant women has contributed to a 28% reduction in reported malaria hospital admissions in the past five years.”
“In addition, with the country being supportive of private sector-led partnerships and forums, we will continue to spearhead collaborative efforts bringing together Mozambican leaders at all levels to establish an inclusive decision-making process to ensure national ownership of bed nets.” continues Patrick Sieyes. The World Malaria Day 2022 has provided an opportunity for Mozambique to reflect and renew its efforts in the fight against malaria as well as the opportunity to engage with the Mozambican private sector to commit to the ongoing investment to eradicate malaria in accordance with the national malaria control programme strategic plan.
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