Our goal: A world free of malaria by 2040

Malaria occurs in many countries, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Some 11 countries – all in sub-Saharan Africa, except India – account for 70% of the global malaria burden. The disease takes a huge toll on human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2017 there were 219 million new cases of malaria resulting in 435,000 deaths. More than two thirds of all malaria deaths occur in children under the age of five.

There is no vaccine for malaria, but it can be prevented and treated. Methods used to prevent malaria include medications, mosquito elimination and the prevention of bites. WHO recommends protection for all people at risk of malaria with effective malaria vector control. Since 2000, 663 million clinical cases of malaria have been averted – 78% of which were due to mosquito control interventions such as long-lasting insecticide treated bednets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Fighting malaria is a top priority of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Innovation needed to maintain progress

The Crop Protection companies BASF, Bayer, Mitsui Chemical, Sumitomo Chemical and Syngenta have been a major driving force behind the efforts to fight malaria; helping to develop and deliver innovative insecticides for use on bed nets and for indoor spraying, so saving millions of lives.

A decade ago, these companies provided the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) access to their chemical libraries to support the search for novel insecticide modes of action that could be developed for public health use. This public private collaboration continues to this day, and has produced a pipeline of novel vector control solutions to support the global efforts to eradicate vector-borne diseases. The progress made in reducing cases of malaria to date is one of the world’s greatest health achievements. We cannot take this progress for granted however - the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a troubling shift in the trajectory of this global malaria disease burden, which risks increasing again. Further innovation is required to combat insecticide resistance and prevent established vector control tools from becoming less effective. Without the continued support and innovation of the Crop Protection industry, the hard-won gains of the past two decades could be quickly reversed, costing many millions of lives.

United against malaria

On April 18, 2018, BASF, Bayer, Mitsui Chemical, Sumitomo Chemical and Syngenta announced their continued and strengthened commitment to research, develop and deliver innovative vector control tools to help end malaria for good by 2040.

Working together with IVCC and global partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the UK Government's Department for International Development (Dfid), USAID, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Unitaid, the companies committed to the following principles, and invited other companies working in the field of vector control to join them in the fight to eradicate malaria.

“April 25 is World Malaria Day, but for half of our world, every day is a fight against this devastating disease. Malaria causes sickness and death, reduces productivity, fuels poverty and creates hunger, especially in impoverished, rural farming communities. ZERO by 40 will connect the smartest minds in public health and science, and I am truly optimistic that it will be a force for change. We can be the generation to end malaria.”

Saori Dubourg, Member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE

The Commitment

Together we will:

Continue to screen new chemistry for potential use in existing and new vector control solutions.
Sustain and extend programmes that will support the development of existing and novel insecticide tools and solutions to help eradicate malaria.
Advance R&D, through bilateral partnerships as appropriate, to find and bring to market a toolbox of next-generation vector control interventions.
Where appropriate, actively collaborate with industry colleagues to better understand and manage the bioavailability of new chemistries on aggressive surfaces such as mud and cement; supporting the development of improved efficiency and cost effectiveness of application technologies.
Establish a multi-industry coalition of partners, via the intermediaries of IVCC or similar platforms, to facilitate the integration of vector control and broader science technologies (e.g. drones / robotics / big data) to improve the public health of rural communities, advancing basic and implementation research and capacity building.
Where possible, identify potential synergies and share know-how between the Crop Protection and Pharma industries to drive innovation across drug and vector control interventions.
Work collaboratively to ensure technically sound Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) and Integrated Vector Management (IVM) best practices, ensuring optimum performance and reduced probability of resistance development.
Ensure that the global supply chain continues to deliver the vector control interventions needed in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Prioritise and effectively leverage organisational skill-set and knowhow to meet our malaria eradication ambitions.
Continued focus and attention on the health and well-being of smallholder farmers in malaria endemic countries.
Track and provide updates on the progress of our commitments towards achieving the global goals of malaria eradication.

BASF: Combining science and action

With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Our Public Health business helps to improve the quality of life for millions of children and adults around the globe by preventing malaria and other neglected tropical diseases.

Our Public Health team is active in the international malaria community, representing BASF on numerous taskforces on neglected tropical diseases, integrated vector management and long-lasting insecticidal nets.

Combining ground-breaking science with practical down-to-earth action, we develop products that combat disease-transmitting insects and bring them, in collaboration with international health, government and humanitarian organizations, to the communities that need them.

WHO-recommended public health portfolio

BASF’s WHO-recommended public health portfolio includes Fendona^® indoor residual sprays, Abate^® larvicides and Interceptor^® long-lasting, insecticide treated mosquito nets. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently awarded an interim recommendation to Interceptor^® G2, a new generation mosquito net to combat resistant mosquitoes, enabling it to be used in the fight against malaria.

Read more about BASF’s public health portfolio: www.publichealth.basf.com