Tremendous progress has been made in the fight to end malaria. Seventeen countries have reduced malaria cases to the point where it is no longer endemic – and eight of these have fully eliminated malaria. Since 2000, malaria prevention and treatment programs have saved an estimated 4.3 million lives.

Companies have helped to both accelerate this progress and shape malaria policies, impacting communities, through workplace initiatives, product and service innovations, advocacy, research and investment.

Yet despite these significant advances, communities and countries still face steep challenges in ending malaria for good. Millions of people are without access to preventive measures and most cases go unreported and untreated, and often are misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Malaria perpetuates a cycle of poverty, disrupts education, causes stunting in children under-five and has devastating effects on maternal and newborn health.

Against this backdrop, GBCHealth has convened a group of corporate leaders to discuss the challenges to and promise of a united front in the fight against malaria. The interview series, which is being published jointly by GBCHealth and Business Fights Poverty, will spotlight representatives from leading global firms who will explore these different aspects of the malaria issue in greater depth – innovation, program implementation, finance and policy – to determine how the private sector can best contribute to progress on malaria. The interviews will be released over the next week, with a kick off today, World Malaria Day.

The Interviews:

Jon Pender, Vice President, Government Affairs, Global Health, GSK

Herbert Schilthuis, Director of Global Health and Safety, Heineken

Julie Essiam, Group Executive, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs; and CEO Ecobank Foundation 

You can follow the series and comment on social media using the #GBCtalksmalaria. This series is being published in collaboration with Business Fights Poverty here