Malaria Consortium is an international
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
specializing in the comprehensive control of
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
and other
communicable diseases
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dis ...
– particularly those affecting children under five.
Established in 2003, Malaria Consortium works in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
Pacific with aims to combat malaria and
neglected tropical diseases, as well as to improve child health. It is a specialist technical organization that works with governments and partners to strengthen health service delivery.
It headquarters in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, with regional offices in Africa and Asia, and country offices in
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
,
Chad,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
,
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
,
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
, and
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
.
Operations
Malaria and parasite control in general is central to Malaria Consortium's strategy. It focuses on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases including malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, dengue and neglected tropical diseases. Other operations include
health systems
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
enhancement in the context of neglected tropical diseases; research and monitorization, as well as national and international
advocacy and
policy development.
The organization aims to make healthcare more accessible for communities in Africa and Asia, especially regarding children under five, pregnant women, and migrant populations. The intervention strategy is generally based on integrated community case management and community management of acute malnutrition, or a mix of both. Integrated community case management is an approach encompassing the provision of home based treatment for childhood illnesses, malnutrition or neglected tropical diseases. It implies strengthening the availability and quality of care in the communities. To this end, the Malaria Consortium trains volunteers. As part of its community management of acute malnutrition strategy, the organization also funds health promotion and messaging interventions.
Malaria Consortium's parasite control and prevention strategy includes
vector control
Vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other arthropods (here collectively called " vectors") which transmit disease pathogens. The most frequent type of vector control is mosquito control using a varie ...
through long lasting insecticidal nets distribution, indoor residual spraying, education, and data surveillance. Malaria Consortium is for instance leading the Beyond Garki Project, an initiative to collect epidemiological data on the evolution of malaria. They also support
seasonal malaria chemoprevention Intermittent preventive therapy or intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) is a public health intervention aimed at treating and preventing malaria episodes in infants (IPTi), children (IPTc), schoolchildren (IPTsc) and pregnant women (IPTp). The in ...
(SMC) campaigns, and are the largest organization running SMC campaigns in the
Sahel. In this program preventive drugs are given to young children in the form of tablets. The tablets are given to the children during high transmission season. Initially these tablets are distributed to the child by a trained local health worker, and later by the child's caregiver. In addition to providing the drugs, Malaria Consortium helps develop training material as well as training the local staff. Since 2012, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
(WHO) has recommended SMC as a treatment for malaria in Africa's sub-Sahel region.
Malaria Consortium began as a research consortium within the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine.
The inst ...
and was originally funded solely by the UK
Department for International Development (DFID, the Overseas Development Administration before 1997). Research remains an important aspect of Malaria Consortium's strategy and the organization publishes research in open access and scholarly journals. For instance, it worked with Cambodian National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control and WHO, contributing on research regarding the use of Guppy Fishes as part of an integrated strategy for dengue control.
Malaria Consortium produces learning materials with the aim to support the advancement of policy and practice. The organization often collaborates with governments on pilot interventions and delivers recommendations based on the findings.
In 2021, Malaria Consortium was awarded independent research organisation (IRO) status by
UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Str ...
, making it one of only two international non-governmental organizations to hold this status in the UK.
Funding
The majority of Malaria Consortium's work is funded through grants, contracts and consultancy income. This is mainly restricted funding to deliver on a particular project in either a specific country or multiple countries.
A substantial portion of global funding available for SMC is
GiveWell
GiveWell is an American non-profit charity assessment and effective altruism-focused organization. GiveWell focuses primarily on the cost-effectiveness of the organizations that it evaluates, rather than traditional metrics such as the percentag ...
-directed funding from donors.
A 2019 GiveWell report states that 53% of the income for SMC came from donations. Furthermore, 16% came from
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
and 13% from
UKAID
, type = Department
, logo = DfID.svg
, logo_width = 180px
, logo_caption =
, picture = File:Admiralty Screen (411824276).jpg
, picture_width = 180px
, picture_caption = Department for International Development (London office) (far right ...
. Other major funders includes the Global Fund, Project Management Institute, the World Bank, Good Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Reception
In November 2016, charity evaluator GiveWell included the SMC program in its list of top charities, and published a review of the consortium's work on that front.
As of January 2021, Malaria Consortium is one of nine of GiveWell's Top Charities.
SMC is the only Malaria Consortium program reviewed by GiveWell and they recommend it based on the program's strong evidence base and cost-effectiveness, in addition to the fact that there is room for more funding. They also have experience with supporting such projects on a large scale in seven countries with a demonstrated success at reaching a large portion of the targeted children.
References
External links
*
RBM Partnership to End MalariaMalaria and Infectious Disease Guardian Hub
{{Authority control
Health charities in the United Kingdom
Malaria organizations
Organizations associated with effective altruism