Health Briefs
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| By Vincent Nzemeke |
NOVARTIS and Malaria No More have announced the commencement a new campaign tagged ‘the power of one’. The campaign is expected to encourage people around the world to help end child deaths from malaria. In the campaign, Novartis will provide financial support and donate up to three million Coartem, a dispersible anti-malarial treatments funded by the public. The company’s commitment to power of one aligns with its long history in the fight against malaria. The Novartis Malaria Initiative is one of the largest access-to-medicine programmes in the healthcare industry.
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, but it still kills a child every minute. It is estimated that 436 million additional treatments will be needed to treat malaria patients across Africa between now and the end of 2015. The power of one campaign also aims to address this treatment gap through direct donations and existing government commitments. Monies donated to the campaign will be spent on buying and delivering treatment to a child diagnosed with malaria
Speaking about the campaign, Joseph Jimenez, chief executive officer, Novartis, said: “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. 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.”
Harnessing social, mobile, and e-commerce technologies, power of one enables the public to purchase a treatment and track the journey of a treatment. Donors will be able to see the effect of their donation on the ground, share information with their networks and recruit other donors. Martin Edlund, chief executive officer, Malaria No More, called on people from various parts of the world to join in the fight against malaria. “It is unacceptable that a child dies every minute for lack of a dollar’s worth of treatment. We’re urging the world to join the power of one campaign and to donate and engage their friends in this fight.”
Other organisations have also commended Novartis for the initiative and called on individuals and corporate organisations to support the campaign. David Reddy, chief executive officer, Medicines for Malaria Venture, MMV, said: “Novartis has done a tremendous job of bringing an innovative drug to the vulnerable young victims of malaria in Zambia, and over 50 other countries, giving it global reach. We at MMV are proud to have partnered with Novartis on the development of this important formulation.”
— Oct. 7, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT
Tags: David Reddy Joseph Jimenez malaria Malaria No More Martin Edlund Medicines for Malaria Venture MMV Novartis
