£7.4 million funding from UK will make malaria drugs and tests accessible for countries around the world; over 50 million people will have access to the life-saving drugs and tests by 2027; UK-Indian developed vaccines being rolled out to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin.

The UK government will improve access to malaria drugs to help tackle one of the biggest killers of children in sub-Saharan Africa, it has been announced today (25 April).

More than 600,000 people worldwide die every year from malaria, which is preventable and treatable. The £7.4 million support for MedAccess will be used to negotiate lower prices for vital malaria drugs and diagnostic tests for people in countries affected by the disease.

The funding brings total UK support to MedAccess to £17.4 million, which will help 1 million people access new diagnostic tests and 120 million patients to receive anti-malarial treatments.

MedAccess guarantees sales volumes of drugs in markets where demand is uncertain so manufacturers can commit to affordable prices and stable supply. In return, manufacturers receive assurance that they will be paid even if the demand doesn’t materialise.

In 3 years, it is expected that more than 50 million people will have access to drugs and other items.

The announcement comes on the World Health Organisation’s World Malaria Day, which aims to keep the disease high on the political agenda, mobilise additional resources, and empower communities.

Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said:

“Thanks to British science, we now have life-saving malaria vaccines which will protect millions of people.”

“But we also need to make sure we are making drugs available at the best possible price to the countries that most need them. Deaths from malaria are entirely preventable and the UK’s support for MedAccess will ensure that countries can afford to offer people the best protection against the disease.”

It has also been announced that Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin will begin their first roll out of the UK-Indian developed RTS,S vaccine, marking a significant milestone in ending malaria.

Collaboration between British scientists and Indian manufacturers resulted in 2 essential malaria vaccines being developed: RTS,S and R21. These have been used in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, with 2 million children vaccinated since 2019, and in January, Cameroon became the first country to give the vaccines to children routinely.

A total of 22 countries are due to roll out the vaccine. Gavi, which is funded by the UK, is aiming to immunise more than 6 million children from malaria by the end of 2025.

UK funding helps MedAccess to reduce the costs of a range of innovative health products for HIV, TB and malaria, meaning that UK support for organisation like Gavi and the Global Fund will go further as they benefit from lower prices for products.

Chief Executive Officer for MedAccess, Michael Anderson, said:

“We are deeply grateful for FCDO’s continued support, which enables MedAccess to improve access to products for HIV, TB, and malaria in support of Global Fund programmes.”

“MedAccess will continue to use innovative financial tools to reduce the cost of diagnosis, prevention and treatment, improving value for money while improving patient access. We are glad to announce this renewed funding on World Malaria Day, an important moment for global stakeholders to come together with a common ambition to accelerate malaria prevention and control.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Malaria is a preventable and curable disease yet continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives every year—mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Discover how a Sierra Leone Red Cross Society volunteer helped save a baby boy from malaria, and how the IFRC is working to tackle the disease around the world.

Baindu Momoh is a mother from Gbaigibu in Kailahun district, eastern Sierra Leone. Her village is so small and remote it doesn’t show up on most maps—but that doesn’t stop the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society from looking out for the health of her community.

In October 2023, Baindu came rushing to her local Red Cross volunteer, Joseph. Something was deeply wrong. Her baby boy, Senesie, had a fever, was sweating and vomiting, and had a puffy face and eyes. Baindu feared for his life.

Thankfully, Joseph is part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) and is trained in how to detect, report, and respond to disease threats—meaning he knew exactly what to do.

“I have established strong relationships with both the health facility and the community. When the child’s mother reached out to me in distress, I immediately recognized the urgency of the situation,” explains Joseph.

In the absence of timely local ambulance services, Joseph rushed Baindu and her baby on his motorbike to the nearest Community Health Post in Woroma, where Senesie was diagnosed with severe malaria and anaemia. Baindu was told that, to survive, Senesie needed an urgent blood transfusion—only available at the Kailahun Government Hospital, some 30 miles away.

Without hesitation, Joseph offered to help, explaining:

“As a trained volunteer with a humanitarian organization, my community is my responsibility.”

But in this part of the world, getting to the hospital is easier said than done. 

On his motorbike, with Baindu and Senesie on the back, Joseph embarked on the long, bumpy road to Kailahun—carefully navigating the treacherous terrain and crossing rivers along the way. Thankfully, they arrived safely and Senesie was quickly treated by hospital staff. 

“Since I could help, I couldn’t let him die. So I made the decision to pay for the treatment because the parents couldn’t afford the cost,” explains Joseph.

Thanks to Joseph’s quick action and support, Senesie made a full recovery from malaria. After a week in hospital, Baindu and Senesie returned to their home in Gbaigibu. Joseph continues to check in on them to make sure they’re doing well.

“Joseph risked his life to save my son’s. Upon reaching the Kailahun Government Hospital, he paid for a blood transfusion that the medical practitioners had recommended. To me, Joseph is a true lifesaver who helped us in our time of need,” says Baindu.

Baindu isn’t the only person in Gbaigibu to be supported by Joseph. He regularly engages people in his community on how to prevent, detect, and respond to diseases—such as malaria, measles, and yellow fever—so they can stay healthy and safe.

Fomba Lamin, head of the Woroma Community Health Post, feels Joseph plays an invaluable role in encouraging village members to seek health support.

“We thank the CP3 programme, it is improving our referral rate. Community members we refer in the past did not go to Kailahun for obvious reasons: the means of transportation. But with people such as Joseph, who encourage our people to seek health care in Kailahun, we see the reduction of death in our community,” says Fomba.

Although malaria is preventable and treatable, the death toll from the disease remains high for children under 5 and pregnant women, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities. 

Key challenges to controlling malaria include a lack of reliable access to health services and prevention supplies, a decrease in global funding for malaria, and a widespread and increasing rise in insecticide resistance in malaria-endemic countries. 

Recent innovations, such as the approval from WHO of new insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) to address insecticide resistance and two new malaria vaccines for children, are positive steps to tackling the disease. 

Through programmes like CP3, the IFRC is supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide to plan and deliver high-quality malaria prevention activities, such as:

Supporting ministries of health and their partners to plan and implement distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets through mass campaigns or continuous distribution channels. 
Administering preventive treatment to children as part of seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns.
Promoting individual preventive practices through social and behaviour change activities to encourage people to sleep under a bed net every night of the year, seek prompt and early healthcare in case of fever or malaria-related symptoms, and attend antenatal care for malaria prevention.

This story from Sierra Leone is a great example of how National Societies are supporting communities to prevent and seek treatment for malaria, encouraging them to implement practices that will protect them from the disease, and improving their access to health care—even in remote and isolated communities.

The IFRC also houses and chairs the Alliance for Malaria Prevention, a global partnership that supports ministries of health and their financial and implementing partners with the planning and implementation of ITN distribution, primarily through mass campaigns. ITNs remain the most effective tool to protect at-risk communities from malaria. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

As part of ongoing U.S. government negotiations with the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP), U.S. Ambassador to Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon and Major General Kenneth Ekman, Director of Strategy, Engagement and Programs for U.S. Africa Command, will meet with CNSP officials in Niamey on April 25 to initiate discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger. In the week of April 29, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Christopher Maier and Lieutenant General Dag Anderson, the Director for Joint Force Development, Joint Staff, will hold follow up meetings in Niamey to coordinate that withdrawal process with transparency and mutual respect.

The United States is proud of the security cooperation and shared sacrifice of U.S. forces and Nigerien forces, a partnership which effectively contributed to stability in Niger and the region. Amid discussion underway since July 2023, we have been unable to reach an understanding with the CNSP to continue that security cooperation in a manner that addresses the needs and concerns of each side. The United States welcomes CNSP interest in maintaining a strong bilateral relationship. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell will travel to Niamey in the coming months to discuss ongoing collaboration in areas of joint interest. The United States reaffirms our support for the Nigerien people as they combat terrorism, develop the country’s economy, and transition to democratic rule.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Niger.

Kinshasa, April 25, 2024: More than 20 years after their arrival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are preparing to leave the country. The contingent has constituted the bulk of the UN’s troops deployed in South Kivu province and their important contributions to peace consolidation and security was recognized during a tribute ceremony today.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in the DRC and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Ms. Bintou Keita, MONUSCO’s Force Commander a.i. Major General Khar Diouf, the South Kivu provincial minister of Infrastructures and representative of the interim governor, Mr. Cissa wa Numbe, the Government Delegate General in charge of liaison with MONUSCO, Ambassador Noel Mbemba, participated in the ceremony today in Kavumu, 32 km from Bukavu. The departure of the Pakistani contingent is part of MONUSCO’s disengagement plan from the DRC, initiated in early January 2024.

Since 2003, when they were first deployed, more than 100 000 Pakistani Peacekeepers have served in South Kivu and 31 have died in the line of duty. For Pakistan that’s the greatest number of Blue Helmets they have lost in the 46 Peacekeeping missions in the 29 countries where they have been deployed.

“I pay tribute to the immense contribution the troops from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have made to advancing peace and security in South Kivu. I honour the 31 Blue Helmets who have paid the ultimate price. Over the years, their sacrifice, professionalism, and commitment have helped protect millions of people in DRC”, the head of MONUSCO said.

The Pakistani troops have been engaged in military operations aimed at protecting civilians and maintaining peace and security in South Kivu. In 2017, together with the Armed Forces of the DRC, the Pakistani contingent stopped a coalition of armed groups from taking over the city of Uvira. In 2018, they pushed back an offensive by armed groups in the Hauts Plateaux of Uvira, protecting more than 120 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Over the years, the Pakistani Peacekeepers have protected millions of IDPs, many of whom have established camps around their bases.

“MONUSCO is handing over the responsibility of ensuring security and the physical protection of civilians to the defence and security forces of DRC, who will continue to undertake this responsibility in close coordination with community and other local leaders. According to the disengagement plan, in parallel with the withdrawal of UN troops, the government will increase its presence in the areas the Mission is vacating at its request”, Ms Bintou Keita concludes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).