Post by Philip Welkhoff

Malaria is unforgiving, pushing back every time we push forward and causing tremendous suffering whenever things go wrong. Drug and insecticide resistance. Climate shocks. Budget cuts. When we lose ground against #malaria, we lose it fast. But here's what keeps me optimistic: few communities are as resilient as the people fighting this disease. Scientists, advocates, partners around the world, community health workers, parents, all refusing to give up. And right now there is real reason for hope. The pipeline of new drugs and ways to control mosquitoes is strong. There is a robust portfolio of second-generation vaccine candidates to build on the successes of the first two malaria vaccines that are already reaching children. A single-dose cure is within reach. The toolkit already in hand, the science, and the R&D pipeline have each never been stronger. I wrote a piece on what this moment demands: sustained investment, faster inovation, and getting new tools to the people who need them before the disease outpaces us. The malaria community is calling it the "Big Push". Britain's role in this fight goes all the way back to 1897 when Sir Ronald Ross discovered that mosquitoes transmit malaria. UK institutions and researchers today are leading on vaccine development, vector control, and more. And UK is a leading funder of malaria R&D globally, with more than 14 million lives saved since 2000 thanks to these new tools. This is a legacy worth protecting and building upon. Read the piece here: https://lnkd.in/gqBRE7pi