Malaria Network Gets 49bn from Bill Gates

The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) has received a US$4.1 million grant equivalent, to 49.2bn/-, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to the statement signed by AMANET Communication Officer, Dr Charles Wanga, the four-year grant is aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in health research ethics (HRE) in Africa.

It also aims at fostering and promoting discussion, research and publications that highlight African perspectives.

Dr Wanga said the project would focus on strengthening HRE review processes across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in institutions undertaking, or about to undertake, malaria intervention trials.

`The worsening malaria situation in sub-Saharan Africa, unprecedented progress and promise from biomedical research discoveries, and the need to bridge the malaria funding gap have led to growing investments to develop new products for the treatment, management, prevention, and control of malaria,` he said.

Dr Wanga said more malaria research and trial involving African and non-African scientists and institutions should be undertaken in Africa.

`Bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, some African governments, philanthropies like the Gates Foundation, and other sponsors are rising to the growing malaria challenge by significantly increasing malaria research funding, including the development of new tools against malaria,` said the AMANET Managing Trustee, Prof. Wen Kilama.

`Such studies need to involve those most vulnerable to malaria, including infants, young children and pregnant women. The rights and well-being of these research participants must be protected,` he said.

Source-Bio-Bio Technology
SRM