Fighting Malaria Together - December 2010

Malaria Advocacy Working Group reviews opportunities, discusses challenges

The sixth annual Meeting of the RBM  Malaria Advocacy Working Group (MAWG) took place October 28–30 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the meeting, MAWG members reviewed the global malaria advocacy strategy and identified opportunities and challenges in the coming year. The MAWG, which coordinates RBM’s advocacy efforts to increase the allocation of resources for malaria control, voiced concern over the declining number of advocates and advocacy groups due to decreasing funding for malaria advocacy activities. A priority for the MAWG will be to increase the number of new malaria advocates, especially in Africa, over the coming year. 

The MAWG formed three new working groups to explore other advocacy opportunities with the African Union and other regional coordinating bodies, national assemblies, and parliamentarian activities. The MAWG is also charged with mapping key advocacy targets for the RBM Progress & Impact report series.