World Malaria Day 2019

The World Malaria Day 2019 in Geneva was hosted by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) together with the Swiss Malaria Group, and organized by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) under the theme “Swiss Leadership in Innovative R&D Partnerships to End Malaria. Past, Present and Future”.

On April 24, Swiss authorities among them Marina Carobbio Guscetti, President of the National Council, global health organizations and the diplomatic community met in Geneva to celebrate the importance of Swiss contributions in the fight against malaria, to discuss how to tackle the challenges and opportunities, and to encourage Swiss partners to step up their efforts.

On World Malaria Day 2019, Swiss organizations look back on a long history of successful public-private collaboration for new malaria medicines. 20 years ago, Switzerland’s leading role in the fight against malaria was strengthened with the foundation of the first product development partnership (PDP), the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). Since then, MMV and partners have brought forward 11 new approved anti-malarial medicines, saving more than 1.9 million lives globally. PDPs have revolutionized the development of drugs and other health products for the diseases of poverty.

Keynote speakers at the event:

Marina Carobbio Guscetti, Former president, National Council

Tatjana von Steiger, Deputy Assistant Director General, Global Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Christian Lengeler, President of the Swiss Malaria Group and Head of Unit, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

Marcel Tanner, President, Swiss Academy of Sciences

Lutz Hegemann, Head of the Global Health Development Unit, Novartis

Margret Kaemba, Minister Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires, Permanent Mission of Zambia to the United Nations Office in Geneva

David Reddy, CEO, Medicines for Malaria Venture