ExxonMobil says it is committing $5.7 million (N2.052billion) to support local and global organisations working to eliminate malaria around the world.
Mr Oge Udeagha, Manager, Corporate Communications and External Relations of the company said this in a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday.
According to him, this year’s grants, announced in conjunction with World Malaria Day, will continue the company’s nearly 20-years efforts to reducing the global burden of malaria.
”Malaria is a disease that still causes an estimated 435,000 deaths annually despite being preventable, treatable and curable.
“ExxonMobil’s malaria initiative has worked to advancing progress against malaria through partnerships focused on developing the next generation of global health leaders and building health system capacity.
” This it does by supporting education and improving access to tools for malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
“We focus our attention on local and global organisations that deliver health services and supplies directly to affected communities,” said Kevin Murphy, President of the ExxonMobil Foundation.
According to him, while great progress continues to be made in saving lives from malaria around the world, important work remains to prevent the disease’s resurgence.
” ExxonMobil works with partners in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Nigeria and Papua New Guinea to identify and promote solutions to fight the disease.
“Activities and public events planned in those countries to commemorate World Malaria Day includes voluntary testing and counseling sessions, mosquito net distribution, community events and public awareness campaigns,”
He said 2019 grant recipients include: ADPP Angola, Africare, Baylor College of Medicine, Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), Friends of the Global Fight, Grassroot Soccer, Harvard T.H.
Others are Chan School of Public Health, Jhpiego, Malaria No More, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Seed Global Health, Special Olympics, Tchova Tchova, ExxonMobil Global Health Scholars at the University of Oxford and Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN).
He explained that Since 2000, ExxonMobil has invested a total of 170 million dollars, supporting the delivery of 15 million bed nets to prevent mosquito bites.
“The administration of 5 million antimalarial treatments and the news release distribution of 3.9 million rapid diagnostic kits,” he said.
Udeagha said the company had also supported the training of 700,000 health workers, noting that ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM).
The foundation and corporation engaged in a range of philanthropic activities that advanced education, promote women as catalysts for economic development and combat malaria.
In 2018, the ExxonMobil Foundation together with Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, along with employees and retirees, provided 211 million dollars in contributions worldwide
