Dear Partners,

As 2022 draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued efforts throughout what has been another momentous year for the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Since assuming the role of Interim CEO in April, it has been an absolute pleasure to work and meet with so many of you at an array of workshops, meetings and partner-organized events, and I have been inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication the community continues to bring to the fight to end malaria.

Despite many challenges, the malaria community has continued to come together to hold the line against this disease. We have much to celebrate this year, with the latest WHO World Malaria Report indicating that heroic efforts from malaria endemic countries and strong partnerships have globally helped avert an estimated 185 million malaria cases and 997,000 deaths in 2021.

This year has also been full of pivotal moments for our community. The Kigali Summit in June was a landmark event that featured more than US$ 4.5 billion in commitments to end malaria and NTDs. In September, the record-breaking Global Fund Replenishment delivered US$ 15.7 billion to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.  Despite a challenging economic backdrop we’ve ensured that world leaders and global influencers continue to step up and make the fight against malaria a priority.

2022 has also been a year of continued innovation, with a rich pipeline of new tools to help address growing threats, including the latest advancements made by the Jenner Institute’s R21 candidate, as well as the ongoing rollout of the RTS,S vaccine. Meanwhile, in the face of emerging insecticide resistance, the New Nets Project (NNP) has delivered millions of nets with improved formulations to communities at risk of malaria. In addition, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria has been involved in the development and launch of a new WHO antimalarial drug resistance strategy for Africa, the new global framework for the response to malaria in urban areas and the multisectoral action framework for malaria. Innovation remains essential to our efforts and we must continue to invest in research and development as we enter 2023.

The RBM Partnership architecture has also continued to grow and evolve, recently adopting a new composition structure for the Board, thanks to feedback from countries and partners. We look forward to working closely with partners in the new year to appoint additional Board members and further enhance our accountability to the global community.

While we have achieved a lot this year, we must not forget that the fight against malaria remains at a precarious juncture. In the face of new challenges we must continue to work together in partnership to maximise our resources and accelerate global action to end malaria for good.  

I believe that with an enhanced and more resilient response, both in malaria control and in addressing the risks we face, and the promise of R&D, we can get back on track and free the world of malaria.

Thank you once again for your continued support and tireless efforts. I wish you all a wonderful new year and look forward to continuing to collaborate with you in 2023 and beyond.
 
Warm regards,

Dr Corine Karema, Interim CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria