Champion Webinar: Grassroots Malaria Advocacy in Tanzania

Special thanks to Aloyce Urassa for presenting at our Champion Webinar on June 6th.  If you couldn’t make it, click here to view the recording.  

Aloyce is a malaria advocate and laboratory scientist from Tanzania whose research has included malaria Pf gametocytes. He is the chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance Youth Advisory Council and an active member of Rotarians Against Malaria Global. His presentation discussed malaria advocacy in Africa and how small actions can make a big difference in the fight against malaria.  

In Africa, Aloyce stated, advocacy is about earning the attention of communities and decisionmakers. This can look like educating affected communities that malaria is a beatable threat or meeting with local and global leaders to encourage resource mobilization. Utilizing the power of research, Aloyce and other African advocates engage stakeholders across the continent to unite to beat malaria. On why US residents should care about malaria, Aloyce states “when one community is affected, the world is affected.” That is why it is so important that the US Congress strongly supports global programs like the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. 

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 6/20 at 6pm EST, when we will be observing World Refugee Day.  

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