New Tech Tools Help Global Public Save Lives by Closing Malaria Testing and Treatment Gaps in Africa
September 23rd, 2013, New York, NY – Malaria No More announced today the debut of its most aggressive campaign to date: Power of One (Po1), where a one dollar donation provides a life-saving test and treatment for a child in Africa. The Power of One campaign uses the latest social, mobile, and e-commerce technologies to rally the global public to close malaria testing and treatment gaps in Africa, starting with Zambia. Malaria No More’s Power of One campaign is supported by some of the world’s most innovative companies, including Novartis, Alere Inc., 21st Century Fox, AHAlife.com, Causes.com, Time Warner, Twitter, Venmo and others.
A child dies every minute from malaria, making it one of the top killer diseases among children worldwide. Every dollar donated to the campaign – via the campaign’s new, mobile-friendly website Po1.org -- funds a life-saving treatment for a child with malaria. The campaign aims to accelerate progress toward ending malaria deaths by closing critical treatment gaps in Africa. In 2014 and 2015, it’s estimated that over 300 million treatments are needed in Africa. Malaria No More has chosen Zambia as the first country for its Power of One campaign, as it has emerged as one of the best examples of innovation and progress in the malaria fight, and is working with the government and partners on the ground to provide 3 million treatments for children with malaria.
Power of One is using mobile phones in Africa and the U.S. in new ways to track impact and engage the public, and the campaign site, Po1.org, will leverage new tools from popular digital platforms, like Twitter and Venmo, in the coming weeks.
“It’s unacceptable that a child dies every minute for lack of malaria diagnosis and treatment, worth only a dollar,” said Martin Edlund, CEO, Malaria No More. “We’re challenging the world to help us fix that through the Power of One campaign where users can donate, track and share impact, and engage their friends using the latest mobile tools. One dollar really can save a life – and we’ll prove it.”
To debut the platform, Malaria No More will distribute 1 million “life-saving vouchers” over the next week through supporting online and physical retailers, such as AHAlife.com, as well as at high level events taking place in New York City, including Mashable’s Social Good Summit, the United Nation’s MDG Innovation Forum, and the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park. Audiences making everyday purchases will receive a ticket featuring a special code that, when redeemed on act.Po1.org, provides a test and treatment, without a donation, to save a child’s life in Zambia.
Top media partners, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner, are airing campaign PSAs and digital ads nationally this week, and ads will run across dozens of other national broadcast channels, cable networks, radio stations, popular websites, and on prominent billboards. Additionally, as a feature partner on the new platform release of Causes.com this week, the Power of One campaign is being highlighted and heavily promoted to users.
Novartis, the world’s leading provider of malaria treatments and exclusive treatment sponsor of the Power of One campaign, is donating up to three million full courses of its pediatric antimalarial drug and will support the campaign financially over the next three years. “I am proud of the significant and longstanding commitment Novartis has to the fight against malaria. For all our progress though, there’s still more work to do,” said Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. “We need more help to close the treatment gap and Power of One offers everyone a chance to engage and make a difference for children suffering from malaria.”
Alere, the world’s leading provider of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria and exclusive diagnostics partner to Malaria No More, will donate over the course of the campaign two million rapid diagnostic tests to aid point-of-care diagnosis of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. “Accurate diagnosis of malaria significantly improves the odds in treating the disease and ending premature deaths of children,” said Ron Zwanziger, Chairman and CEO of Alere. “Alere is proud to partner with Malaria No More and to support the Power of One campaign in its goal of preventing deaths from this devastating disease.”
Every dollar donated to the Power of One campaign provides a life-saving test and treatment for a child in Africa. Thanks to our corporate partners, Power of One will be able to amplify public impact. For the first million dollars raised by the public every year, Novartis will match the global public’s contribution and donate up to an additional one million treatments and Alere will donate one million rapid diagnostic tests – this translates to two treatments and one test for every dollar donated.
For more information and to sign up to support the Power of One campaign, visit www.Po1.org.
