Jan 2020: Campaign Quarterly

Welcome to the Campaign Quarterly Newsletter, a snapshot of our work at Nothing But Nets and the global movement to end malaria for good. 

In this issue, a recap of our malaria programming and advocacy work in 2019. Plus, a preview of the 2020 Leadership Summit, which is less than two months away! 

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT: Looking back at 2019 

To all of our Nothing But Nets supporters around the world, happy new year and welcome to the next great decade of progress in the fight against malaria. As we set our sights on 2020, we’d like to take one final look back at 2019, our campaign’s 14th year.

Thanks to your support, in 2019 we helped protect 2,400,967 people from malaria in 16 countries through the distribution of:  

• 161,050 BED NETS  
• 187,000 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS  
• 323,227 ANTI-MALARIAL TREATMENTS  

and support of indoor residual spraying programs. Below is a synopsis of where we worked in 2019 and which populations and communities we prioritized.  

PRIORITIZING THE HIGHEST-BURDEN COUNTRIES 

Nothing But Nets worked with our UN partners to distribute tools such as insecticide-treated bed nets, treatments, and diagnostics in two of the world’s most malaria-affected countries: Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These two-year projects will reach over 600,000 people, with priority placed on young children, pregnant women, and displaced households.  

RESPONDING TO HUMANITARIAN CRISES 

Nothing But Nets moved quickly to prevent a malaria outbreak in Mozambique after the country suffered vast flooding caused by back-to-back tropical cyclones. We also mobilized hundreds of thousands of bed nets and anti-malarial drugs for distribution in Venezuela, which has seen malaria cases skyrocket in five years due to economic collapse and severe medical shortages.  

ELIMINATING MALARIA IN THE AMERICAS 

Nothing But Nets is helping wipe out malaria in several countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. These ‘pre-elimination countries’ include Haiti, the Dominican Republic (DR), and Ecuador. We’ve provided over 300,000 bed nets to the region; and have mobilized insecticide, anti-malarial drugs, and mobile technology for the elimination efforts in Haiti/DR.  

In 2020, Nothing But Nets will continue to prioritize the most vulnerable populations and communities, responding to humanitarian crises, and supporting efforts to wipe out malaria in countries across the Americas. Plus, as the world’s largest grassroots movement fighting to end malaria, we will continue to educate and empower hundreds of passionate advocates who share our commitment to wipe out this deadly disease within this generation. To learn more about our advocacy work, check out the two stories below.  

CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT: A Year of Advocacy and Movement-Building 

The Nothing But Nets Champions Council, a grassroots coalition of 600-plus malaria advocates, was at the center of a monumental advocacy victory in 2019.  Our champions helped secure a historic $210 million increase for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, & Malaria.

This funding will impact millions of lives over the next three years and helps ensure continued progress towards the eradication of these three diseases. Our champions also helped secure increased funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the other primary US funding avenue for malaria programs worldwide.  

This coalition of 609 champions conducted 212 meetings with members of Congress in 2019 – both in-district and on Capitol Hill as part of our annual Leadership Summit’s Advocacy Day. Our champions are also active in their communities, raising funds and awareness through their schools, congregations, businesses, and community groups. These efforts are critical to ensuring that the issue of malaria still resonates in all parts of the country.   

In addition to Congressional and community engagement, Nothing But Nets’ advocacy work prioritizes outreach to young people – the future malaria scientists, researchers, and advocates who may ultimately eradicate this ancient disease. In 2019, Nothing But Nets took youth outreach to the next level by launching the Global Health Fellowship (GHF).

The GHF is creating a network of student advocates across American universities and high schools. The fellowship program will train and empower students to become effective malaria champions – both in their community and on Capitol Hill. In the Fall, we selected 10 student groups to join the inaugural class of GHF fellows.  

If you’d like to learn more about the Nothing But Nets Champions Council or GHF, please contact our Grassroots Advocacy Officer, Wendy Dimas, at wdimas@unfoundation.org.  

WHAT’S NEXT? 

We’re less than two months away from our campaign’s marquee event: the annual Nothing But Nets Leadership Summit (March 8-10 in Washington DC; Washington Marriott Georgetown). Here are five reasons why you should attend the 2020 Leadership Summit! 

1. Participate in the world’s largest grassroots movement to end malaria. Each year, our Leadership Summit brings together hundreds of our most passionate supporters across the country and around the globe (last year’s attendees represented 33 states and countries such as Syria, Niger, and Venezuela). The Summit gives our supporters an opportunity to engage deeper in the fight against malaria and learn how to make an impact in their community.

2. Gain valuable leadership and community organizing skills. The Summit’s Sunday and Monday programming includes workshops and trainings that help attendees become better advocates and community organizers. These are valuable skills that can be used beyond the fight against malaria.

3. Meet with your Members of Congress. On Tuesday, Summit attendees take to Capitol Hill for the Summit’s annual Advocacy Day. Attendees meet with their Senators and Representatives to emphasize the impact and critical importance of US-supported malaria programs through the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria and the President’s Malaria Initiative.

4. Learn how malaria impacts other key global issues. As we enter the final decade to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), we must recognize malaria as a global development issue that intersects with virtually all other SDG’s. The 2020 Leadership Summit will include sessions about how malaria impacts gender equality and economic empowerment;  and the impact of climate change on malaria.

5. Celebrate the impact we’ve made!  Our coalition of champions scored a monumental advocacy victory last year: funding increases for the Global Fund and PMI that will protect millions of people from malaria around the world. This big win did not happen overnight. Hundreds of passionate and persistent malaria champions volunteered their time to attend advocacy trainings, set up meetings with members of Congress, recruit new champions, and raise awareness through social and traditional media. The Summit is an opportunity to thank and recognize these incredible efforts, and to highlight the progress we’ve made towards global eradication. Together, we can end malaria within this generation!