1992-1995 Malaria Awareness Campaign

1995 Launch of MALARIA.ORG 

1996-1997 Creation of Global Awareness through Conferences held in India.

August 1997  Malaria Fact Pack

May 1998 Launch of Roll Back Malaria

1999-2000 Drive Against Malaria

1999-2001 DDT Campaign

2004 Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy

2005 - 2007 Current Perspectives

1992-1995

Malaria Awareness Campaign 

With the backing of its 25 member inaugural Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading malaria scientist from around the world, the MFI created initial attention for the need of global efforts to fight malaria.

1995

Launch of MALARIA.ORG  

In 1995, the MFI launched the first comprehensive www.malaria.org website to bring together information about malaria. This website has been a gateway for malaria-related information and has facilitated other efforts to fight malaria.  In 1995, the development of internet and websites were in their infancy with information on malaria not readily available, and the information posted was the product of MFI’s Advisory Board and volunteers.

The initial MFI website was constructed with the support of Brad Landers of Net Node, Inc. The MFI acknowledges the foresight of former Board member Dr. Robert H. Nagel for securing the malaria.org domain.  In 1996 the MFI established the first online dialog system for discussions on malaria. From 1998 through 2005, the site was developed and maintained by Dr. Kathryn Nason-Burchenal as vice-president of communications for the MFI. In 2006, the MFI website was reconstructed with the technical leadership of Sudeep Rangi and colleagues from Emory University's Student Coalition Empowering Emerging Nations (SCEEN) and staff volunteers from Emory's International Center for Malaria Research and Education (ICMRE).

1996-1997

Creation of Global Awareness through Conferences held in India. 

MFI organized an International Symposium on Malaria in New Delhi, India, in 1996 at the annual Meeting of the Indian Society of parasitology. The Ronald Ross Centenary Conference (pdf) in August 1997 was a direct outcome of the success of this symposium. invited speakers from the 1996 Symposium played instrumental roles in the organization of the 1997 event. Over 800 people attended This landmark conference and the creation of global awareness was achieved for the first time.

August 1997 

Malaria Fact Pack

In support of the Ronald Ross Centenary Conference, the MFI developed the first malaria awareness press kit including the Malaria Fact Pack (pdf)  to help attract widespread global media attention on malaria. The Malaria Fact Pack was developed with contributions and extensive review from over 30 international experts from the MFI Scientific Advisory Board and professional network. This historical document became the framework for the development of various future malaria advocacy documents produced by MFI and others.

May 1998

Launch of Roll Back Malaria 

MFI’s success bringing attention to the world about malaria in 1997, led to the realization that it was possible to get the media’s attention and that there was a global interest in this deadly disease. This realization led to intensive brainstorming sessions that resulted in the creation of Roll Back Malaria. The original flyer (pdf) produced to launch the Roll Back Malaria initiative was developed by the UK Department for International Development and the MFI (please disregard the 1998 outdated contact information on this flyer for the MFI and DFID). To accompany this flyer, MFI produced a Malaria Background Information (pdf) document. The launch of RBM occurred in May 1998 at the time of the G8 Summit in Birmingham, UK, and the arrival of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland as the new director of the World Health Organization.    

1999-2000

Drive Against Malaria

Along with MEMISA, the MFI was instrumental in launching the Drive Against Malaria Campaign led by David Robertson, an adventurer from the UK.  In 1999, MFI arranged for Robertson and his Land Rover to be featured in the exhibit hall, at the Second Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) meeting, in Durban, South Africa.  This began the relationship of David Robertson with hundreds of scientist from Africa and around the world. Immediately after this meeting, with MFI’s management and Louis Da Gama as the project director, David Robertson began his major expedition to create awareness in Africa among political leaders and the media. Departing from South Africa, David began this historic journey transversing Africa delivering information about this deadly disease. The MFI remains supporting of David Robertson’s continued efforts to fight malaria.

1999-2001

DDT Campaign

In 1999 the United Nations Environment Program began negotiating a treat to eliminate the use of 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including DDT.  Over 300 environmental groups, such as Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, and Physicians for Social Responsibility, advocated a total DDT ban to be effected as early as 2007.  The Malaria Foundation International (MFI) and the Malaria Project (MP), led by Dr. Amir Attaran, initiated a campaign to make sure that DDT was still available for use in malaria vector control. DDT remains the most effective and least expensive method for preventing the transmission of malaria in many regions of the world. MFI and MP garnered the support of over 400 doctors and scientists from 63 countries during their campaign (See original letter. The campaign against the total ban of DDT ended a success. The treaty (pdf) approved by UNEP in 2000 called for the complete elimination of eleven POPs, with the twelfth POP, DDT, to be limited to restricted use in disease vector control. Read the original Open Letter and the list of signatories . Additional information about the DDT Campaign is available in the MFI archives & ongoingly since 2000 with the leadership of Africa Fighting Malaria and leaders behind the Kill Malaria Mosquitoes Now (KMMN) campaign. See www.fightingmalaria.org for regular updates, educational materials and advocacy opportunities.

2004 

Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy

The MFI was one of the organizations that took a stand in 2004 to support a major global switch to the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies. At this time, cheep but largely ineffective malaria drugs were being used, while the more expensive ACTs were underfunded and underutilized.  This scenario has changed dramatically with the publication of an article in The Lancet titled "WHO, the Global Fund, and medical malpractice in malaria treatment "(pdf).  Since, the Global Fund, WHO and many others have been focused on funding and delivering ACTs as an important effective therapy to fight malaria.

Current Perspectives: 2005-2007 

Read the Global Vision Magazine Article (Pages 1 and 2, pdf) featuring the MFI's 2005 Hedge Funds vs Malaria Leadership Business Conference. 

View - Rallying the World Against Malaria

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