For further information contact:
The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Ellen Wilson/Preeti Singh
+1 301 652-1558 ext. 108
For Immediate Release
Bethesda, Maryland, USA (Monday, 26 September 2005) – Noting that Africa continues to grapple with the daily loss of 3,000 children to malaria, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) welcomed the $500,000 grant announced today by ExxonMobil to support efforts to promote greater investment in the development of a life-saving vaccine.
Despite increased global attention to this parasitic infection and its devastating grip on Africa, malaria remains a neglected disease with resources far below what is needed to control and ultimately defeat it.
“Malaria takes a devastating toll on Africa,” said Melinda Moree, director of MVI. “We are grateful that ExxonMobil is making financial contributions to the fight against this disease. The generous grant to MVI will help us to create a climate that will shorten the time it takes to bring a malaria vaccine to the children of Africa. We hope Exxon’s example will encourage corporations that are not yet involved to help the world tackle the malaria epidemic.”
MVI will use the grant to launch and expand efforts to increase financial and political support for malaria vaccine development. This work will include further assessing the potential market for a malaria vaccine and advocating for greater investment in malaria vaccine development.
The MVI award falls under ExxonMobil’s Africa Health Initiative, part of a long-term commitment to support research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of malaria. The company also announced grants to the Academic Alliance Foundation of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda and the World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases in Geneva, Switzerland.
"Malaria is a disease that is preventable, treatable, and curable, yet
kills one million people every year. Grants for training and research, such
as this one to MVI, are the core to our strategy to find long-term solutions
and to help communities help themselves," said Susan Carter, manager Global
Community Relations, Exxon Mobil Corporation.
“
Corporate support for malaria prevention is testimony to the severe economic
impact of the disease on Africa,” said Moree. “Malaria is one
of the main drags on Africa’s economy, costing $12 billion annually
in lost productivity and diverted resources.”
PATH is an international, non-profit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. For more information, visit www.path.org. The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) is a global program established through an initial grant of $50 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which later awarded it an additional $100 million. MVI’s mission is to accelerate the development of promising malaria vaccines and ensure their availability and accessibility for the developing world, including supporting a clinical trial that proved to be one of the most significant advances in malaria vaccines in decades. For information, visit www.malariavaccine.org.
For information on ExxonMobil’s Africa Health Initiative, visit: http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Citizenship/gcr_health_AHI.asp
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