K-C Partners with "Malaria No More" to Reduce Malaria Deaths in Kenya

Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dallas, Texas, USA, is partnering with nonprofit "Malaria No More," New York, N.Y., to reduce malaria deaths in Kenya. The partnership focuses on protecting the health of pregnant women and children, the two groups most vulnerable to malaria. This marks the first time K-C, has partnered with a nonprofit on this issue.

This past week, the two organizations launched a malaria awareness and education campaign called Mothers Against Malaria ("Wamama Dahidia Ya Malaria" in Swahili) at Nairobi's Westhouse. The launch hosted top stakeholders in the malaria fight, including Kenyan government representatives, public health, and private sector leaders, Kenyan celebrity campaign ambassadors, and mothers and young children—the program's target audience. The campaign in Kenya builds on Malaria No More's award-winning "NightWatch" program, which has been successfully implemented in other malaria endemic countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Tanzania, where it’s mobilizing people to take action and properly use mosquito nets and other life-saving tools to prevent and treat malaria.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. The 2013 World Health Organization Malaria Report estimates that nearly 630,000 people die of malaria annually. Through an expanded global effort to combat the disease, tremendous progress has been made—with a 54% decrease in the rate of child malaria deaths since 2000 in Africa, where 90% of malaria deaths occur. Despite progress, malaria still kills a child every minute, K-C notes. To help combat the disease's devastating effects, the company also is donating 200,000 child malaria treatments to MNM's Power of One platform, which raises money to provide malaria tests and treatments to children in Africa.

"Malaria deaths are at an all-time low, but to ultimately win this fight we need the help of not only global leaders, but also innovative and committed private sector partners," said Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More. "Our new partnership with Kimberly-Clark will allow us to expand our health-education efforts and deliver life-saving treatments to ensure the health of Kenyan moms and kids."