ExxonMobil Helps Launch Malaria Prevention Program In Nigeria

Main Category: Tropical Diseases
Article Date: 27 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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ExxonMobil Foundation announced its support for the launch in Nigeria of the NetsforLife program to fight malaria. Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets will be distributed to Nigerian communities with a high prevalence of reported malaria cases.

The expansion of the NetsforLife program in Nigeria comes one year after ExxonMobil helped launch the program in Angola.

"ExxonMobil has been in Africa for over 100 years. As such, we have felt first hand the devastating human toll of malaria on our host communities. Prevention is key to saving lives when it comes to the fight against malaria in Africa," said Mike Fry, vice president for Africa, ExxonMobil Production Company. "ExxonMobil is proud to sponsor NetsforLife in its work to distribute one million life-saving nets by end of the year."

With the support of corporate sponsors such as ExxonMobil, NetsforLife works through churches and ecumenical partners in the most vulnerable communities across 16 African countries to prevent, recognize and treat malaria.

ExxonMobil supports NetsforLife through the company's Africa Health Initiative. Under this program, ExxonMobil Foundation, the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), has invested about $40 million in projects to fight malaria in Africa and works with local partners to save lives. ExxonMobil is the largest non-pharmaceutical corporate donor to malaria research and development efforts and the largest corporate donor to the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).

Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria. In 2005, there were more than 2.6 million reported cases of malaria in Nigeria, and more than 1.1 million of those cases were among children under the age of 5. Malaria is the cause of almost 25 percent of infant deaths and 30 percent of childhood mortality cases in the country.

Since 2000, ExxonMobil has contributed over $120 million to support community projects in Africa.

More information about ExxonMobil programs to fight the spread of malaria is available at http://www.exxonmobil.com/malaria.

NetsforLife