Championing the cause

Partnerships are key to our efforts in the advocacy arena

Awareness of malaria as a threat to global health is at an all-time high, and investments in malaria control appear to be on the increase. Yet, there is still a tendency within the larger donor community to focus support on existing interventions and to direct less attention to research and development of new technologies, including malaria vaccines. To address this challenge, MVI seeks to educate policymakers about the importance of investments to develop and make available malaria vaccines, and to help facilitate their approval and use. We take a two-pronged approach that involves activities at the national and international levels.

Partnerships are key to MVI’s efforts in the global advocacy arena. We work with existing networks and coalitions, such as the US-based Malaria Roundtable, the European Alliance Against Malaria, and the Malaria Advocacy Working Group (MAWG) of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Our efforts also benefit from its relationships with other PATH programs, in particular those engaged in development of other vaccines and the Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership for Africa (MACEPA).

MVI is also increasing its efforts in malaria-endemic countries to ensure that people at all levels—from trial site communities to national governments—are prepared and fully understand the process of testing and introducing malaria vaccines. In this arena, MVI also works closely with partners to ensure that its activities respond to the needs of specific communities and countries. As part of this effort, MVI implements the Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship program, thanks to the support of the ExxonMobil Africa Health Initiative. The Fellowship program seeks to strengthen the capacity of malaria scientists and clinicians to bridge between and among the worlds of science, policy, and the interested public.