Leveraging Migration Data for Malaria Advocacy 

Thank you to our longtime Champion, Ashlea Elliott of Bellevue, Washington for leading an Advocacy Webinar on Monday, May 23rd discussing the impact of migration on malaria risk, morbidity, and mortality on the African continent. Ashlea has been a Champion with United to Beat Malaria since 2015 and is a dedicated member of Junior Chamber International (JCI) for over 10 years. 

On why she is involved with United to Beat Malaria, Ashlea states, “Malaria is not an abstract health issue to me, it is a daily reality for peers and colleagues around the world who talk to me about their daily decisions of which of their children will sleep under a bed net, and which will not. Peers let me know when their children have malaria, how they are doing, and the need for more nets in their communities. I carry their stories with me to make malaria tangible for those who have the power to send nets.” 

Ashlea, a self-proclaimed “data nerd” took us through some of the key statistics regarding migration and malaria using publicly available data from countries served by PMI and the Global Fund. She illustrated how “shocks” to a country including natural disasters and conflict can cause displacement of people and disruptions to health systems. For malaria, this means that with more people crossing borders, the disease is more likely to spread. Furthermore, forced migration can cut off individuals and communities from trusted community health centers and limit access to life-saving malaria diagnostic and treatment tools.  

These points further emphasized the need for continued US leadership to fund the fight against malaria, particularly for last-mile communities such as refugees and internally displaced persons.  That is why it is so important for Congress to support increased funding for PMI and the Global Fund in the FY23 budget. 

Take Action: Sign & Share Petition to Congress 

The next opportunity to take action in support of these life-saving programs is already upon us. You can sign this petition asking your elected officials to continue strong U.S. leadership in the fight against malaria by ensuring at least $1 billion is made available for PMI and $2 billion is made available for the Global Fund, as well as full funding for all of the UN agencies involved in this critical fight. 

After you sign the petition yourself, be sure to tweet it out and post on Facebook using the Share feature at the end of the form. Then, send the petition to five of your personal contacts – ask them to sign and share with 5 in their network. The goal is to drum up as many petitions as possible by the petition’s closing date in June.  

Advocacy Look Ahead: September Meetings with Congress 

As we gear up for the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment this Fall, we will be meeting with Congress to raise our voices in support of a strong pledge from the United States to inspire other nations and donors to fully fund the Global Fund. These meetings will take place digitally on Thursday, September 8th.  

Next Steps: 

• Block your calendars for Thursday, September 8th. Meetings typically take place between 9:30am and 4:30pm EST. We will not get final schedules until closer to the day of meetings, so be sure to block off the whole day. 
• Registration for meetings will open July 5th and stay open until August 5th 

Register here for our next Advocacy Webinar on Monday 6/6 at 6pm EST.  

Questions about Advocacy? Email Maegan at [email protected].