World Malaria Day Champions Breakfast Recognizes US-led Innovations
Washington, DC, April 26, 2023 – To commemorate World Malaria Day 2023, today, Malaria No More hosted its Malaria Champions Breakfast on Capitol Hill, alongside United to Beat Malaria, the Malaria Roundtable, and the Senate Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
This year’s theme focused on ‘US-led innovations to end malaria’ and the various scientific, medical, and technological breakthroughs that are equipping the global health community to not only save lives but to unlock immeasurable human and economic potential.
Recognized for their innovative contributions were the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and several congressional champions who were awarded the 2023 Malaria Vision Award. Thanks to US-led efforts, malaria deaths have declined by 47 percent since 2002.
Thanks to bipartisan support from Congress and the Administration, the United States continues to serve as the world’s largest donor to global health, committing $2 billion in FY23 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as well as $800 million to the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). This funding is critical to put the world on a path to eradicating malaria.
“As we recognize World Malaria Day, we celebrate the many advancements we have made to slow the spread of malaria, while recommitting ourselves to end this disease once and for all,” said Senator Coons (D-DE), Co-Chair of the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus. “As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds foreign assistance, I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to deliver the resources needed to ensure the world is malaria-free.”
“I am honored to be recognized as one of this year’s malaria champions,” said Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-chair, Senate Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. “Combatting this deadly disease requires government, academia, and the private sector to come together and support innovation. The Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Caucus was formed to increase awareness and support for eradicating malaria, and we will not stop until we finish the race.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the tragedy and devastation this preventable, treatable disease leaves in its wake, as well as the impact of U.S.-led efforts to combat it and save countless lives,” said Senator John Boozman (R-AR). “Now is the time to double down on our efforts to innovate and invest in effective malaria interventions. Our country’s leadership can help bring an end to malaria globally and I will continue championing that cause in Congress.”
"The U.S. can do so much more to address this preventable disease," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). " I want to thank U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator Dr. David Walton, who is an old friend of mine. The work you do is so important. If we work together, we can win the fight against malaria."
The World Malaria Report estimated that there were 247 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2021, with malaria deaths at 619 thousand. Through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the U.S. Government helps provide critical funding for life-saving tools, such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, rapid diagnostic tests and artemisinin-based combination therapies.
“Innovation is how we turn troubling trends around,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “In partnership with PMI, the Global Fund is accelerating the path to impact for new, game-changing technologies in the fight against malaria.”
Dr. Robert Seder, Chief, Cellular Immunology Section, NIH/NIAID Vaccine Research Center accepted the Malaria Vision award on behalf of the NIH with remarks about how the innovations and discoveries originating at the NIH and developed through private-public partnerships will play a critical role in developing transformative approaches to prevent malaria.
The program included remarks from Ambassador Mark Green, President and CEO of the Wilson Center and founding Managing Director of Malaria No More, as well as a panel discussion on malaria innovations in the field with Sifa Ndusha, United to Beat Malaria Champion, Dr. Fitsum Tadesse, Lead Scientist at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute, and Rita Colwell, Distinguished Professor at the University of Maryland.
"Thanks to the strong bipartisan support from Congress, PMI plans to expand to three additional countries - Burundi, The Gambia, and Togo, increasing the total number of PMI partner country programs to 30,” said Dr. David Walton, U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative. “Partnering with these additional countries will bring PMI’s lifesaving tools and medicines to new populations at risk and allow us to continue to anticipate, monitor, and respond to current and future threats.”
“World Malaria Day is a moment to recommit to the historic and achievable goal of ending malaria in our lifetimes,” said Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More. “Drug and insecticide resistance make eliminating malaria harder, but thanks to U.S. leadership the solutions are getting better, and the time to invest is now.”
Explore more photos from the Malaria Champions Breakfast 2023 here or for interview requests, please contact Mindy Mizell at mindy.mizell@malarianomore.org.
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About Malaria No More
Malaria no More envisions a world where no one dies from a mosquito bite. More than a decade into our mission, our work has contributed to historic progress toward this goal. Now, we’re mobilizing the political commitment, funding, and innovation required to achieve what would be one of the greatest humanitarian accomplishments – ending malaria within our generation. For more information, visit www.malarianomore.org
