The Monthly (December issue): Beat Malaria's Monthly Impact Report

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: Democratic Republic of the Congo In Eastern DRC, intensifying violence and mosquito resistance complicate malaria fight 

DRC: UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE ON EARTH

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is about the size of western Europe and home to the world's second largest rainforest, famous for its great apes, forest elephants, and other large mammals you won't find in the Amazon. The DRC is also home to more than 200 distinct ethnic groups that speak 242 languages, making it the world's third most diverse nation.

And yet, while the DRC is rich with culture and biodiversity, it remains one of the world's least developed nations. Plagued by systemic corruption and decades of conflict, almost two-thirds of the DRC's 93 million people live under the poverty line.

MALARIA IN THE DRC: TROUBLING TRENDS

Malaria is endemic throughout the country. Around 60% of all hospital visits in the DRC are attributed to malaria. With an estimated 30.3 million malaria cases and 77,000 malaria deaths in 2021, the DRC carries approximately 12% of the global malaria burden.

Here's what's particularly troubling: after making significant progress in the early 2000's, since 2015 the DRC has seen malaria cases increase steadily by 30%. So why has progress stalled in Central Africa's largest and most populous country, and what are organizations like United to Beat Malaria doing to support the DRC's efforts to curb malaria?

Read the blog post to learn more.

2022 WORLD MALARIA REPORT: Key takeaways from the WHO's annual comprehensive malaria update

"A host of global threats - humanitarian and climate-related disasters, and funding gaps - are stifling efforts to beat malaria. But there are still reasons for optimism that we can beat this disease once and for all." - Margaret Reilly McDonnell, Beat Malaria's Executive Director. Watch the video above to learn more. 

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its 2022 World Malaria Report, an annual report that provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends. The report tracks investments in malaria programs and research; provides data on malaria prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance; and addresses a multitude of threats that could derail progress towards eradication. Here’s what you need to know:

HOLDING THE LINE

Facing continued COVID-19 disruptions and a host of other challenges, the heroic efforts of national malaria programs, health workers, and partners helped prevent further setbacks in 2021. Nevertheless, the reality remains that progress has slowed in the fight against malaria. Global malaria cases increased for the second consecutive year, albeit at a slower pace than the previous year (from 245 million in 2020 to 247 million in 2021). The good news is that malaria deaths decreased slightly (from 625,000 in 2020 to 619,000 in 2021), a potential sign of successful malaria case management.

Click here for a breakdown of global, regional, and population trends from the report.

DELIVERING A FULL COMPLEMENT OF MALARIA TOOLS

Thanks to strong national commitments and global partnerships, distributions of insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic tests, anti-malarial treatments, and other core malaria interventions largely maintained similar levels to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, despite continued COVID-19 disruptions. Furthermore, 2021 saw the continued scale-up of emerging interventions – including Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp), and the RTS,S malaria vaccine – that protected millions of young children and pregnant women from malaria.

Click here for a breakdown of how malaria service delivery fared in 2021.

A CONVERGENCE OF THREATS

COVID-19 disruptions, humanitarian crises, natural disasters, insecticide and drug resistance, biological threats, and other challenges are testing the resilience of malaria programs around the world and threatening long-term progress towards eradication. These challenges have been further compounded by significant funding limitations for malaria research, development, and implementation, coupled with rising costs.

Click here for a breakdown of global threats that are jeopardizing progress against malaria.

A PROMISING PIPELINE OF NEW MALARIA TOOLS AND STRATEGIES

Investments in the malaria research-and-development (R&D) pipeline have played a vital role in the dramatic reductions in malaria cases and deaths the last two decades. The development and massive roll-out of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), anti-malarial drugs, and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have saved millions of lives; but continued innovation is needed as new threats emerge in the fight against this disease. Despite insufficient funding, research institutions and private-sector partners are developing dozens of new prevention, diagnostic, treatment, and surveillance tools that combat these emerging threats and will help accelerate progress towards eradication.

Click here for a breakdown of the new tools and strategies in the malaria R&D pipeline.

The blog post also provides a few ways you can take action to help get the world back on track in the fight against malaria. 

2023 SUMMIT: APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN! Leadership Summit and Advocacy Day (March 26-28; Wash. DC) will be in-person

Applications to participate in the 2023 Leadership Summit and Advocacy Day are live! Don't miss out on your chance to take part in our first in-person Summit since 2020! Click here to start your application!

The 2023 Summit will be our first large in-person gathering since 2020. Due to capacity restrictions, confirming your Summit participation will require a 2-step approach.

FIRST STEP: Submit your application before Jan. 8 at 11:59 PM ET to participate in the 2023 Summit. Included in the application is the opportunity to request a travel scholarship as our team is dedicated to making advocacy accessible. Click here to get started.

SECOND STEP: Our team will review applications and distribute invitations to confirm participation starting on Jan. 16. To confirm participation, invited champions will complete the registration process which will include a modest $50 registration fee to help offset the costs of hotel accommodations and meals.

Additional details:

TRAVEL: Attendees will be responsible for booking their own travel. Requests for financial support to cover expenses to and from DC, including any flights, trains, or ground transportation can be made in the application. Financial support excludes taxis and rideshare.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Two-bed, double-occupancy hotel rooms will be provided for the nights of Sunday, March 26, and Monday, March 27 – with a check-out date on Tuesday, March 28. Attendees wishing to have private accommodations will be responsible for this additional expense.

WHY ATTEND THE SUMMIT?

Our annual Summit brings together passionate malaria advocates from around the world to engage deeper in the fight against malaria and advocate to their members of Congress. Over the years, the persistent advocacy of our Champions has helped strengthen US funding for vital malaria programs, including The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, & Malaria and the President’s Malaria Initiative. These programs protect millions of people each year from malaria and help keep the world on track towards malaria eradication.

It’s time we take a stand to beat malaria - together. Eradicating this ancient disease will require sustained commitment, collaboration, and innovation from governments, private sector, the global health community, and individuals - like you!

We won’t stop until malaria is defeated for good. We hope you’ll join us. 

Apply today!

UNITED IN HEALTH CAMPAIGN: ALL DONATIONS MATCHED! For a limited time, double your impact while giving the gift of malaria protection 

Good news! Now through Dec. 26, all donations to our United in Health campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000, thanks to a generous matching pledge from an anonymous donor.

Don't miss your chance to double your impact while giving the gift of malaria prevention and treatment this Holiday season. All proceeds from the United in Health campaign support our work in South Sudan.

It costs just $10 to protect an entire family from malaria. Donate today and help us reach our goal of protecting 180,000 people in South Sudan from malaria by end-of-year.

Thank you for your support, and hope you have a lovely Holiday and Happy New Year! 

Donate today!

Thank you for your dedication to ending malaria in our lifetime. Your support protects families and saves lives. Why the new name? Click here to learn more.