A new advocacy initiative led by the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public
Health
Center for Communication
Programs has initiated an urgent global call to action
for a malaria-free future for families living in the
developing world.
CCP's Global Program on Malaria has launched the
VOICES for a Malaria-Free Future project to highlight
successful antimalaria efforts and evidence-based results.
The project is supported by an $8.7 million grant from
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
VOICES is designed to educate policy-makers about
effective programs and strategies for malaria control and
includes advocacy projects in four developing countries
— Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Mozambique — that will
promote progress made against malaria while also breaking
down policy barriers that hamper effective prevention and
control.
Recent increases in dedicated funding are creating a
wave of momentum to limit malaria's impact through
insecticide-treated nets, new combination therapies, indoor
residual spraying, intermittent preventive treatment for
pregnant women and infants, and vaccine research.
While progress is being achieved and measured, many
policy-makers and opinion leaders are not fully aware of
this progress or that a malaria-free future for families is
possible, said the project's director, Matthew Lynch.
"Globally, we want to engage new voices and bolster ongoing
advocacy efforts by highlighting successful work going on
at the country level," he said.
VOICES will develop materials based on lessons
learned, successes and case studies from developing country
activities to enhance ongoing advocacy efforts and
encourage new malaria advocates. It will also seek
strategic opportunities to bring developing country
spokespersons to the global stage to help make malaria a
priority. International communications firm
Fleishman-Hillard will provide strategic public relations
support and counsel to the project.
At the global level, VOICES will work with
donor-country leaders; policy-makers; opinion leaders; the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, or
GFATM; multilateral funding agencies; the Roll Back Malaria
Partnership; global health advocates; existing malaria
stakeholders; the private sector; the faith-based
community; the research and development community; and the
media. VOICES will also closely track global funding trends
from a variety of sources, such as the World Bank, GFATM,
governments and other donors.
The developing country efforts will work to ensure
national malaria control strategies are in place and are
adequately funded and implemented. CCP will work with local
community-based organizations to implement projects in both
Ghana and Mali. The CORE Group, a membership association of
international nongovernmental organizations, will work with
CCP in Mali through Groupe Pivot, a well-established
national NGO umbrella group. In Kenya, CORE Group will
provide support to the Kenya NGO Alliance Against Malaria,
while the Malaria Consortium will focus its efforts on
Mozambique.
GO TO