Going “the last mile”—the most difficult and important mile of all—is critical to win the fight against malaria
 
NEW YORK (Sept. 29, 2018) – In Africa, which is home to 91 percent of malaria deaths worldwide, victory against the disease is within reach. Yet to truly eliminate malaria, which claims one life every two minutes, we must put all of our energies to go “the very last mile”—the most difficult and important mile of them all. This not only requires additional funding, it also demands that we push deep into the most remote and low-resource settings in the world to make effective interventions acceptable and accessible to all. This week, five Anglican Church leaders from southern Africa arrive in New York to urge policymakers to rethink the role of faith leaders and communities in the fight against malaria.

“It is essential that we build on the established relationships that faith leaders have in rural and remote communities, for we are the readily accepted messengers, and in this role, we can not only help save lives, but advance a shared global goal to eliminate this disease from our region,” said Archbishop Albert Chama, Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa. “With the tremendous gains to build on, now, more than any other time in the history of our fight against malaria, we must also secure the funding needed to eliminate it,” Chama added.

Malaria claims the lives of approximately 445,000 people a year, 70 percent of whom are in children under 5 years of age. Among children, it is estimated that up to 50 percent of preventable school absenteeism in high-burden African countries is caused by malaria, which costs Africa $12 billion in lost GDP annually.

“Winning the battle against malaria is not a sprint, it’s a long, grueling marathon, and we must go the last mile,” said Neville Isdell, co-founder of the Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative, which is hosting the delegation visit. “It’s clear that if we are able to get a Coke to the most distant villages in the world, we can also get the essentials to eliminate malaria,” stated Isdell, who is former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. He added: “But proven tools to eliminate malaria will not work if people don’t use them. The Church's active work in communities to change people’s behavior is a game changer in the fight against the disease.”

Over a decade of unprecedented global efforts and resources have ushered in critical successes. In 2016 there were 21 million fewer malaria cases than in 2010. From 2007 to 2017, malaria deaths were cut by more than half. Among countries in southern Africa, Zambia is an exceptional example. Boosting government funding for malaria programs from $8.5 million in 2015 to $28 million today has reduced malaria-related deaths there by 70 percent in the past five years alone.

Isdell:Flowers, working with community religious leaders to strengthen surveillance, community education, diagnosis and treatment, seeks to couple an evidence-based elimination strategy with an enabling environment—of strong political will and financial support.
 
“With funding, perseverance and creative solutions, the fight against malaria is ours to win,” stated Christopher Flowers, CEO of J.C. Flowers & Co and co-founder of Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative. He noted that for every dollar we invest in malaria, there is a $36 return in increased productivity. “It’s not only a smart investment, it propels us toward the last mile and toward our collective aim of global malaria eradication.”

Archbishop Chama is joined by four Anglican Church leaders in the region: Bishop David Njovu, Diocese of Lusaka, Zambia; Bishop Cleophas Lunga, Diocese of Matabeleland, Zimbabwe; Bishop Luke Pato, Diocese of Namibia; and Bishop André Soares, Diocese of Angola. The delegation will arrive in New York City on Oct. 2, to meet with representatives at the United Nations and members of the Council on Foreign Relations, before traveling onward to Washington, DC to meet with members of Congress and students and faculty at Harvard University, in Cambridge, MA.
 
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NOTE TO MEDIA – J.C. Flowers Foundation is hosting the visit as a part of a the Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative, which is dedicated to the elimination of malaria by shrinking the malaria map. The Initiative's work is in the last mile, cross border areas of Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These highly mobile populations are hard to reach yet are often responsible for significant malaria transmission into neighboring countries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Rebecca Vander Meulen, Executive Director, J.C. Flowers Foundation
rebecca@jcflowersfoundation.org
212 404 6890
 
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Louise Orton
louiseorton2010@gmail.com
+44 7939 141764
​
ABOUT:
The J.C. Flowers Foundation works with a wide range of partners to solve critical health and social problems affecting hard to reach, or “last mile,” communities. The Foundation seeks maximum impact from its investments by partnering with other funding organizations, governments, and local, grassroots organizations with expertise and presence in communities often overlooked by traditional donors. For more information go to: www.jcflowersfoundation.org.

We are please to share the following press release, highlighting new commitments from Southern African countries to defeat malaria and work across country borders to do so.  

Windhoek, Namibia Monday, August 20, 2018

In response to rising cases of malaria in the region, countries across southern Africa are stepping up commitments to eliminate the disease by 2030. On August 18, sixteen Heads of State signed the “Windhoek Declaration on Eliminating Malaria in the SADC Region” at the 38th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In the Declaration, these countries endorse key actions to put the region back on track to achieving global malaria elimination targets.

Progress in the malaria fight is fragile

Malaria is one of the most pressing health issues facing sub-Saharan Africa, with around 90% of all malaria cases and deaths worldwide occurring in the continent. In 2016, there were more than 47 million cases in the SADC region alone, primarily among children under the age of five. Over the past fifteen years, SADC countries have made unprecedented progress in the malaria fight, decreasing deaths from malaria by half. Progress was a result of robust political commitment, infusions of global and domestic funding, and wide-scale implementation of effective tools to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.

However, the region’s hard-won gains are fragile. In the last few years, funding for malaria has flatlined, and a number of countries in the region have seen a subsequent increase in cases. According to the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), which maintains a quarterly scorecard to track national progress on malaria, four countries in the SADC region are considered off-track and progress in seven additional countries is considered at risk.

“We have now reached a crossroad whereby if we increase our efforts we shall move towards elimination.” Said HM King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini and Chair of ALMA. “But if we continue business as usual we will see the loss of the huge gains that have been made in the fight against malaria and continue to be burdened with [the disease].”

Windhoek Declaration to reinvigorate malaria elimination efforts

The Windhoek Declaration comes at a pivotal moment in southern Africa’s malaria fight, reaffirming country commitments to elimination at the highest political level and reigniting progress to meet new challenges head on. Approved by Ministers of Health and signed by Heads of State from all sixteen SADC countries -- Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe -- the Windhoek Declaration also shows strong regional leadership in advancing a continent-wide pledge to eliminate the disease made at the 2016 Africa Union Summit.

Specifically, the declaration calls for increased resource allocation from country governments to address gaps in funding and supportive policies to promote malaria elimination, as well as measures to improve  data-sharing and program implementation, and establish national malaria elimination taskforces. Some countries – including Eswatini, Namibia, and South Africa – have already undertaken efforts to quantify and address financial gaps at the domestic level. In addition, countries are improving accountability and action on malaria elimination by tracking progress through the ALMA Scorecard.

These efforts will complement those of the existing SADC Elimination Eight (E8), an initiative created by SADC in 2009 to pioneer a sub-regional malaria elimination strategy in eight of the sixteen SADC countries. The E8 focuses on facilitating the sharing of best practices, data, and expertise, strengthening efficiency and effectiveness, and building a model that can be adapted across other SADC countries and beyond.

“We know we can eliminate malaria in SADC.” Said Dr. Richard Kamwi, E8 Ambassador and former Namibia Minister of Health. “We have leadership and vision, and are united to achieve this shared goal. The signing of the Windhoek Declaration will strengthen an historic movement to liberate African countries from the burden of malaria once and for all, and unlock the potential of millions across the region.”

SADC countries must work together to achieve elimination

SADC ‘s mission is to bring together southern African nations to chart a bold vision for their shared future. Drawing on each country’s own unique strengths, SADC member states collaborate on common goals, an approach that is also critically important in the fight to eliminate malaria. Countries in southern Africa area already extensively interconnected, with high levels of migration and mobility that allow for malaria-infected mosquitoes and people to easily national borders. “The progress or failure of one country’s efforts to eliminate malaria is connected to the success of other countries in the region.” Said the Honourable Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Chair of the SADC Council of Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia. “…If we work together, we can certainly achieve more.”

Media contact: Michelle Geis Wallace, Burness Communications, +254 711 326 770 or mgeis@burness.com
Phelele Fakudze, +264 811 413 382 or pfakudze@elimination8.org

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership recently released its July newsletter, highlighting recent  events, including the launch of a global malaria campaign led by the African Union Commission. Read the full newsletter here. 

A study released on June 4th showed that the Trans Kunene Malaria Initiative (TKMI) reduced the odds of child fever by 54 percent.

The article, authored by Aayush Khadka et al., examined the impact of the TKMI intervention, which included bet net distribution and house to house malaria education and behavior change communication, between May 2014 and July 2016. 

The authors concluded that the effectiveness of community-based malaria programmes "strongly depends on concurrent efforts made in neighbouring areas" --  making the case for cross border malaria work as championed by the Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative. 

Read the full article here. 

The Angolan Ministry of Health, The Council of Christian Churches in Angola (CICA), the Diocese of Angola, and the J.C. Flowers Foundation are dedicated to eliminating malaria from the most remote, hard to reach communities along the Angola-Namibia border.
 
To date, these partners, who comprise the Trans Kunene Malaria Initiative (TKMI)  have facilitated community action against malaria in 215 villages in the Southern Municipalities of Cunene and Cuando Cubango Provinces through the formation of Community Malaria Elimination Committees (“COCEMAS”).

​Read more about their work here. 

On April 25th, Isdell:Flowers teams from Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe celebrated World Malaria Day by educating people about malaria, and mobilizing them to seek testing and treatment for the disease.

Since 2000, the world has made historic progress against malaria and millions of lives have been saved. However, progress in many sub Saharan countries has stalled, highlighting a need for increased investment in the fight against malaria.

In Angola, representatives from the government, the faith community, and other nonprofit partners joined together throughout Cunene and Cuando Cubango provinces in order to raise awareness of malaria. In Ondjiva, Cunene, Volunteers from the Trans Kunene Malaria Initiative performed skits to educate the community, and demonstrated how to hang up and properly used bed nets. King Mario Sachipamba was  in attendance, and received a bed net and a malaria test. 
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Events were also held throughout the province of Cuando Cubango, with the largest taking place in Cuangar. Representatives from all political parties, non profit partners, and traditional and religious authorities joined together for malaria teaching. Net hanging demonstrations, and malaria testing and treatment was also offered. 

In Calai, Cuando Cubango, malaria testing was carried out. Of the 140 people who received tests, 40 were positive for malaria and received treatment. Bed nets were also distributed by CICA/ J.C. Flowers. 

In Namibia, similar activities were carried out by the TKMI  team near the Angolan border, in Omundaungilo Constituency. Representatives from the Anglican Aids Programme, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Elimination 8 Initiative, the Red Cross, and more were in attendance. Volunteers and field workers performed malaria poems and songs, and malaria quiz competitions took place. Testing and treatment was provided. 

In Zambia, malaria testing and treatment was carried out. In Livingstone, 2,321 people were tested. 30 people tested positive for malaria.  

Monica Mvula, Isdell: Flowers Programme Coordinator, participated in the testing and treatment capaign in Sikongo District, Western Province. After discovering a positive case, she tested 25 people in the nearby households and 3 were positive. 

Zambia's National Malaria Elimination Centre (NMEC) convened a World Malaria Day celebration in Kabwe Central Province. During the event, the Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya launched the country's Malaria Inidicator Survey, in addition to new ITN and treatment guidelines. 

​NEW YORK, NY, April 16, 2018 – The J.C. Flowers Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca J. Vander Meulen as Executive Director. Vander Meulen will succeed Susan Lassen who will become Chairman. 
 
 Vander Meulen has served as the Isdell:Flowers Senior Director for Africa since 2017. For the past 15 years, she was the Community Development Director in the Anglican Diocese of Niassa (northern Mozambique) where she oversaw the formation of more than 400 social action groups comprising more than 10,000 community volunteers.
 
“Rebecca’s extensive experience in mobilizing and supporting ‘last mile’ communities will contribute to the mission of the J.C. Flowers Foundation as we address critical health and social problems affecting vulnerable populations,” said Chris Flowers, Founder of the J.C. Flowers Foundation.
 
In 2003, Vander Meulen earned a Master’s in Public Health in International Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, which in 2009 awarded her with the Matthew Lee Girvin Young Alumni Award in recognition of her dedication to the field of public health and her significant contributions toward improving the lives and health of others. She is also a graduate of Calvin College and a recipient of the St. Mellitus Medal, Order of St Mellitus, conferred by the Bishop of London in recognition of her HIV and community development work in the Diocese of London’s partner Diocese of Niassa.
 
“I am delighted to join the J.C. Flowers Foundation as Executive Director,” said Vander Meulen. “I look forward to walking alongside those in Harlem and in Africa who are transforming their communities, and to facilitating dialogue between policy-makers and communities.”
 
Vander Meulen will begin her new role on July 1, 2018, and be located in New York. 

​J.C. Flowers Foundation Executive Director, Susan Lassen, recently spoke with Inside Philanthropy about the Foundation's founders, Chris and Anne Flowers. The article highlights the commitment of Chris and Anne to support "last mile" communities often overlooked by traditional donors. 

"Anne and Chris are very unusual because they travel, and they visit, and they sit under the tree, and they listen to the story,​" Susan says. The foundation has over 1,000 volunteers who they've trained and who work on malaria in their communities. "It's an amazing network," she says.

​Read the full article here. 

The Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative is preparing for its annual Round Table meeting, taking place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on March 1st and 2nd. 

The meeting will bring together leading malaria scientists, nonprofit, government, and faith-based partners, as well as field staff from the border regions of Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This year's meeting will focus on new and emerging tools and strategies for malaria elimination. 

Over the past decade, the SADC region has steadily progressed towards malaria elimination. However, many countries have experienced recent outbreaks and stalled progress. Through productive debate and discussion, the Initiative hopes to:
 

• Explore new tools and combination strategies for malaria elimination
• Share progress from partners working in the cross border areas
• Understand the potential impact of climate change and insecticide resistance on malaria elimination goals
• Deepen relationships between the faith-based community and partners across varied sectors