Private Sector Malaria Coalition Partners with High Lantern Group to Boost Engagement on Malaria

GENEVA, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Private Sector Malaria Coalition (PSMC) announced today that it will collaborate with High Lantern Group to boost private sector engagement to end malaria. The partnership will provide an organized and neutral framework to enable businesses to collaborate and concretely contribute to malaria control and elimination.

"The private sector is deeply committed to malaria elimination and will continue work to help the international community achieve its targets. The new collaboration announced today is critical for guiding committed businesses through a new phase," said Sherwin Charles, co-chair of the PSMC.

Since 2000, the world has made historic progress against malaria, saving nearly seven million lives. Still, this entirely preventable and treatable disease claims a child's life every two minutes and sucks the lifeblood out of economies, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Malaria Report 2017 released by the World Health Organization last week depicts malaria at a crossroads: funding for malaria has plateaued, the number of malaria cases in 2016 is similar to the number of cases in 2012, and there remain huge gaps in coverage of key malaria controls.

"Progress against the disease has stalled, and the World Health Organization has called for urgent and concerted action by all stakeholders. Our ambition is to rally the business community around the goal of a malaria-free world," said Caroline Desrousseaux, co-chair of the PSMC. "To achieve our mission, we will call other businesses to action to address this societal challenge, leveraging their skills, knowledge, and network."

The PSMC engages with global and regional organizations such as the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the largest global platform bringing together over 500 partners united by a common vision of a world free from the burden of malaria.

"The private sector plays a critical role in our efforts to end malaria – delivering essential commodities like bed nets, developing life-saving vaccines, and using technology to improve access to health services. We look forward to engaging with existing and new partners on making malaria elimination a part of business strategy," said Dr. Kesete Admasu, CEO of RBM Partnership to End Malaria and former Minister of Health of Ethiopia. As part of its strategic plan for 2018-2020, the RBM Partnership is considering how to increase private sector engagement to achieve the WHO global targets to reduce malaria cases and deaths by 90% and eliminate the disease in 35 more countries by 2030.

High Lantern Group is a positioning, public affairs and communications firm, active, among other areas, in global health. "We look forward to this partnership as innovation and success in global health relies on engagement across sectors" said Mario Ottiglio, Managing Director, High Lantern Group. "We are committed to promoting good health and working to empower stakeholders with the strategic vision, messaging, and research to drive change."

About the Private Sector Malaria Coalition

The Private Sector Malaria Coalition (PSMC) is the world's only coalition of private sector voices on global malaria issues, engaging with key international and regional organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Coalition members contribute their diversified business expertise, skills, and assets through both advocacy and partnerships, ultimately striving for disease elimination by 2030.