Lifting the Burden of Malaria: One year later

Date: January 14, 2013
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Happy Friday, everyone! It has been one year since the release of our first philanthropic investment guide in global health titled, Lifting the Burden of Malaria: An Investment Guide for Impact-Driven Philanthropy. Authored by Dr. Carol McLaughlin, et al., the guide identifies three strategies for philanthropists to consider in the fight against malaria: 1) Treat & Prevent Now; 2) Build Systems for the Long Term; 3) Innovate for the Future.

Philanthropists can play a critical role in supporting effective prevention and treatment for malaria, a major and needless killer of children. This guide shows you evidence-based models to support.– Carol McLaughlin, research director for global public health

  1. What is a meaningful change (impact) to target?
  2. What activities lead to that meaningful change for communities suffering from malaria?
  3. How much does it cost to achieve that change?

The guide provides case examples of promising programs, practices, and interventions to show how philanthropic investment can make a difference. Certain strategies are marked as Promising Practices that were selected using the following criteria:

  • Targets what current data indicate are unmet needs
  • Uses practices that are informed by the existing evidence base for what works
  • Recognizes and insists on a set of core implementation components to ensure impact, but also demonstrates an ability to adapt to local contexts
  • Has been (or is willing to be) examined by a neutral third party in the case of more mature programs

Given the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti, the guide had identified the country of Haiti as a malaria “hotspot,” in addition to the Sub-Saharan countries of Africa which are the guide’s main focus. Other countries were Papua New Guinea and Myanmar. We are also in the process of preparing a philanthropic investment guide using Haiti as a case example. A preliminary presentation will be showcased at the Global Philanthropy Forum in April, with Kat Rosqueta, our executive director, as a guest speaker.

Since its release last February 2009, Lifting the Burden of Malaria has been featured on the National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center as a “new tool for malaria philanthropy,” was reviewed by Alanna Shaikh on the Change.org Global Health website, and listed as a resource on the World Malaria Day website. In addition, you can find the guide mentioned on the web in the following places: