Our activities and commitments have grown over time and AMF is now the world's third largest funder of nets. In the coming years, we expect to buy and distribute between 25 and 50 million nets per year. As a result, we wish to add talent to our operations team.
The Head of Analytics will join the five-person operations team and be involved in all aspects of AMF’s operations. S/he will work closely with the Operations Director and have both general and specific responsibilities.
General: Manage analysis across a range of topics by applying a rigorous and analytical approach, presenting information clearly and designing new systems where necessary. All analysis will be driven by AMF’s goal to reduce malaria.
Specific: Lead a number of projects that reflect priority areas at AMF, working alongside the Operations Director. These areas include malaria case rate and prevalence data, net performance, insecticide resistance and use of GPS data during data collection.
Other responsibilities will be added over time as the individual and role develops.
Further information in the attached document.
We are looking for someone who has strong analytical skills, strong interpersonal and intellectual skills, who works collaboratively in a team and relishes responsibility and the opportunity to learn and develop their abilities. The ideal candidate will be motivated to help improve the lives of those affected by the wider impacts of malaria.
Required
-
Strong, demonstrated analytical ability
-
A self-starter with excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently and manage working time effectively
-
Excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong working relationships
-
An interest in driving efficiency through procedure changes and the use of technology
-
Strong Excel skills
-
Fluent English
Desirable (but not required)
-
Fluent French
-
Malaria knowledge or background in malaria prevention or other global health campaigns
-
Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation, including statistical methods, sampling design etc.
-
SQL experience
Initial salary: £50,000 to £65,000, depending on experience
The successful candidate is likely to be in the UK/Europe/Africa time zones.
Job description and details of how to apply.
|
As 2021 draws to a close we would like to thank all who have supported and worked with AMF this year as without donors, distribution partners, volunteers and pro bono supporters we would not be able to do what we do in contributing to the fight against malaria. Thank you!
It has been an extraordinary and difficult year for so many as we have all had to deal with the impact of COVID, giving us another reminder of how the world is so interconnected and we need to look out for each other.
Distributions update
In the last 12 months we have completed the distribution of 36.3 million nets to protect 65.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo and Uganda.
In the next four months we will complete the distribution of 20.6 million nets to protect 37.1 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria.
For 2022 and 2023, we have allocated and committed funding for 82.3 million nets that will protect a further 148 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and one other country (to be announced shortly when the agreement is signed).
This is all thanks to you and the generosity and caring you have shown for people who live many thousands of miles away from you.
We work with many distribution partners and other independent monitoring partners, all of whom have done a wonderful job of adapting processes to ensure that net distributions are maintained throughout the pandemic.
In addition, we are carrying out, with other partners, post-distribution monitoring activities to assess net presence, use and condition, in all the countries in which we have previously distributed nets.
Future distributions
There remains a huge need for nets. The gap for the next two years runs into tens of millions of nets. AMF is in discussion with a number of countries requiring millions of nets each for the period 2022 and 2023. We publish AMF's immediate funding gap which is kept up to date in real-time as funds are received and opportunities added. For the 2024 to 2026 period, for which commitments will be sought from AMF starting in 2022, planning has started and the funding gap looks very large. COVID has not helped this.
740,000th donation and over US$425 million raised so far!
We are thrilled to have passed these totals, with most donations ranging from a few $, £, €, CAN$, NZ$, AUS$, bitcoin and more - to many thousands.
We are so grateful for your support. Thank you!
Tax-Deductibility
We now have tax-deductible status in a dozen countries. Recently added has been Switzerland with the establishing of Against Malaria (Schweiz). We continue to assess the need for tax-deductibility status in other countries, some of which are in the application stage.
AMF top ranked!
AMF has again been top-ranked by the two leading organisations 'dedicated to finding
outstanding giving opportunities'.
GiveWell has ranked AMF a top charity, for the thirteenth year running. AMF is the only organisation to have been ranked every year in this way. GiveWell has been a terrific supporter of our work and we thank their team for their continuous and thorough assessment of our work and the improvements to what we do that have resulted from their reviews and suggestions.
The Life You Can Save has AMF as a top-ranked charity for the tenth year in a row. TLYCS and their team has equally been a stalwart supporter and their work and recommendations have led to tens of thousands of lives being saved.
A suggestion for the Christmas/Holiday season!
Donate nets instead of gifts.
We send the recipient/s an email (on a date you choose e.g. 25th Dec) with your
personal message and a link to their 'gift page', allowing them to follow the progress
of their nets.
May we wish you a very happy and healthy 2022!
The AMF Team - Rob, Andrew, Peter, Julian, Jenny, Shaun, Aisling, Sylvie and Jonas
|
 AMF is now able to accept donations in the following cryptocurrencies:
-
BTC - Bitcoin
-
BCH - Bitcoin Cash (or BitCash)
-
ETH - Ether
-
XRP - XRP
-
DOGE - Dogecoin
-
LTC - Litecoin
-
SHIB - Shiba Inu
Donate cryptocurrency
Please feel free to let us know
- if there are cryptocurrencies you think we should accept
-
if you have suggestions as to how we should be accepting cryptocurrencies i.e. which platforms and intermediaries
We are always looking at what we accept, and how.
|
For information
The Double Up Drive team has just increased the per donor limit for donations to be matched to $20,000.
This is the limit for those who have not yet donated. It also means that those that have already donated are able, should they wish, to donate an additional amount to take their overall total to this new total.
Quick link: https://doubleupdrive.org/donate/
Donation details and information on the original blogpost.
We are delighted to say that the Double Up Drive is proving very successful for AMF and many thousands of additional nets are being funded. We are immensely grateful to all donors participating and to the Double Up Drive team for their incredible generosity and hard work in making this all happen.
|
For information
If you are considering donating to AMF very soon, there is the possibility your donation could be doubled if you make it via the Double Up Drive.
AMF has been chosen as one of very few charities and there is a matching pot of US$2.6 million.
- Maximum of US$10,000 per donor per charity.
- There is no limit to how many people can donate to AMF
- Likely that the matching pot will still be active until 7-10 December (we will post an update here and on social media)
- To be sure/maximise the chances of a match to your donation, the earlier the donation is made from now (30Nov) the better
- If you donate, please do 'opt in' at Double-Up for your details to be shared with AMF as then we (AMF) can email you a link to show you where your nets will be distributed. Note: We do not add you to a list and we do not send soliciting emails.
Donations are matched on a 'first come, first matched' basis until the matching pot is used up. There is no downside in donating via them, only an upside.
For US donors
Simply visit www.doubleupdrive.org/donate
For donors outside the US
To participate in the Match Drive and ensure your donations qualify for tax-deductible outside the US, please follow these instructions from Double Up Drive:
- Step 1: Visit Double Up Drive’s page for international donors and follow the steps on the page.
- Step 2: Complete and submit the form provided on the page.
- Step 3: Wait for Double Up Drive’s team to contact you, confirm your eligibility and provide further instructions about how to complete your donation (via email, within 24 hours) info@doubleupdrive.org (you may wish to add it to your contacts now)
- Step 4: Make your donation directly using the instructions provided by Double Up Drive
- Step 5: Forward the appropriate tax receipt(s) for your donation to Double Up Drive (via the same correspondent who contacted you about your eligibility)
|
 As we head towards the end of the year, AMF's current immediate funding gap stands at US$77.8 million.
This is the funding we could put to work immediately to protect people when they sleep at night to save lives and prevent illness from malaria.
We have sufficient funds raised to cover our central costs and all net distributions to which we have previously committed.
The immediate funding gap reflects the great potential impact AMF could have with further funds. All publicly raised funds are used exclusively to buy nets.
In past years we have received several significant grants around this time of year that have helped to reduce our funding gap. We hope and expect to receive significant grants this year too, but our funding gap has never gone to zero - we have always had a gap of tens of millions of dollars, and we expect to have a significant funding gap this year too after any large donations.
AMF's immediate funding gap page shows
- a summary: funds in hand able to be committed, funds committed, funds available to be committed, AMF approved programmes seeking funding, the resulting immediate funding gap and programmes we are currently discussing for future distributions
- detail: project level information for a) funds committed (both for nets and monitoring costs); b) AMF approved programmes seeking funding
Information is updated 'real-time' i.e. as donations are received, costs are posted and commitments made so it is always up to date.
|
Our activities and commitments have grown over time and AMF is now the world's third largest funder of nets. In the coming years, we expect to buy and distribute between 25 and 50 million nets per year. As a result, we wish to add talent to our operations.
The Operations Manager will join the five person operations team and be involved in all aspects of AMF’s operations. S/he will work closely with the Head of Analytics and the Operations Director and have both general and specific responsibilities.
General: Operations support and analysis
The Operations Manager will assist with a wide range of activities, including day-to-day operational matters, and longer term analysis.
Specific: Net management, Decision-related data analysis
Net management: Primary responsibility within the team to ensure that AMF nets are procured, tested, inspected, shipped, transported to their final destination in a timely fashion; and for all associated systems and reporting.
Decision-related data analysis: malaria case rate data, net performance data and insecticide resistance data are generated or gathered and analysed to support key operational decisions.
Other responsibilities will be added over time as the individual and role develops.
Further information in the attached document.
We are looking for someone who has strong analytical skills, strong interpersonal and intellectual skills, who works collaboratively in a team and relishes responsibility and the opportunity to learn and develop their abilities. The ideal candidate will be motivated to help improve the lives of those affected by the wider impacts of malaria.
Required
-
Strong, demonstrated analytical ability
-
A self-starter with excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently and manage working time effectively
-
Excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong working relationships
-
An interest in driving efficiency through procedure changes and the use of technology
-
Strong Excel skills
-
Fluent English
Desirable (but not required)
-
Fluent French
-
Experience working with large datasets
-
Some logistics experience
No prior operations experience is necessary.
Location: Remote working (all the AMF team work remotely) within Africa/UK/Europe time zones.
Job description and details of how to apply.
|
Our activities and commitments have grown over time and AMF is now the world's third largest funder of nets. In the coming years, we expect to buy and distribute between 25 and 50 million nets per year. As a result, AMF is adding to the technology team and is now seeking exceptional candidates for the role of Software Engineer, specialising in ASP.Net, VB.Net and SQL Server.
Reporting to AMF's Head of Technology, and working closely with all other members of the AMF team, the successful candidate will have the following skills and experience:
Coding
-
ASP.Net, VB.Net, SQL Server; level of competence: excellent; likely years’ experience: 5
-
HTML, CSS, JavaScript/jQuery, Responsive design
General
-
Strong analytical capabilities – for both website functionality and database design
-
Able to react quickly to any critical issues which may arise
-
Able to focus on detail whilst retaining the bigger picture
-
Project/time management skills, self‐motivated with the ability to work to deadlines
-
Strong communication skills at both a technical and non‐technical level
Additional skills
-
Knowledge of non-web coding – i.e. console apps, desktop apps, web services – which may be required to support the site or back‐office users
-
Knowledge and experience of source-control solutions (specifically Git)
-
Python and Jupyter notebooks experience for initial analysis and preparation of data would also be beneficial
-
Some experience of .Net Core, C# for future use
-
Awareness of social media platforms and how to best integrate/exploit them
-
Fluency in French would be desirable
The successful candidate is likely to be in the UK/Europe/Africa time zones.
Job description and details of how to apply.
|
 We are delighted to report that AMF (Switzerland) is now a registered charity in Switzerland with tax-deductible status for Swiss donors.
This status is effective 15th October 2021 so any donations made to AMF on or after that date can be considered tax-deductible by the donor.
Note: All online donations from Swiss residents are automatically considered to be to AMF (Switzerland) and an acknowledgement sent with a link to a downloadable tax receipt. For those wishing to make donations by bank transfer or cheque, the relevant bank account and address information can be found on our donations page, and tax receipts are sent on request.
|
AMF has agreed to fund 3.1 million nets for distribution in Guinea with the distribution scheduled for early 2022. These nets aim to achieve 100% coverage across 15 prefectures in four regions, Boké, Conakry, Labé and Kindia, protecting 5.1 million people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
This distribution is a continuation of our support to the Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Programme in Guinea, whom we supported in 2019 when we funded 4.8 million nets.
Guinea is affected year round by malaria and these nets have the potential to play a major part in reducing deaths and illness.
These nets could be expected to prevent 3,000 to 4,000 deaths, 2 to 4 million cases of malaria and make a material impact on the economy of Guinea. It is estimated that the improvement in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of economic performance, would be about USD75 million.
We are about to allocate individual donations to these specific distributions and many donations, large and small, will fund these nets.
The distributions will be implemented by the PNLP (Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme) and other partners, with whom AMF will work closely and with whom we have an agreed set of processes and a strong and open working relationship. We will report transparently on progress and performance throughout and after the distribution.
Key elements of our agreement include:
-
AMF is funding 3,095,550 LLINs, with distribution in 2022
-
This is a co-funding partnership with non-net costs (shipping, pre-distribution, distribution) funded by the US’s President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)
-
To support accurate data gathering, re-checks of net need numbers will take place by re-visiting a material number of households chosen at random.
-
Household-level data will be collected using electronic-devices and then transferred into AMF’s Data Entry System (DES) for analysis and verification. This, and the above elements combined, are the basis for a highly accountable distribution.
-
Post-distribution monitoring of net use and condition (PDMs) will take place every nine months for two and a half years in all districts. AMF will fund this.
Further information is available via the dedicated Guinea 2022 distribution page.
|
AMF has agreed to fund 3.7 million nets for distribution in Akwa Ibom, and expects to fund 4.4m nets for distribution in Bauchi subject to a review of in-country planning. The distributions are scheduled for early 2022. These nets aim to achieve 100% coverage across both provinces, protecting 15 million people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
We have established a further need for 10.2 million nets to protect 18 million people to be distributed in three states in 2023 and have agreed the processes in these states and wish to formally commit as soon as possible, but need to raise the funding.
The benefits of being able to commit as soon as possible to funding nets that will be distributed in Nigeria in 2023 are significant.
It allows our co-funding partner, the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), to bring forward to 2023, three distributions that would otherwise take place in 2024. This would mean the time between the last mass net distribution and the next in these three states would be three years and not four or five. This is very important for effective malaria control as it removes the fourth year period when net coverage levels can be very low and malaria can resurge, potentially undoing all the gains in malaria control achieved over the prior three years.
Nigeria is one of the two most malarious countries in the world with malaria responsible for the deaths of at least 150 children under 5 each day in Nigeria alone, with high incidence levels seen across the large majority of the country.
These nets have the potential to play a major part in reducing deaths and illness. This initial quantity of nets could be expected to prevent 5,000 deaths, 3 to 5 million cases of malaria and make a material impact on the economy of Nigeria. It is estimated that the improvement in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of economic performance, would be about USD 195 million.
We are about to allocate individual donations to these specific distributions and many donations, large and small, will fund these nets.
The distributions will be implemented by the National Malaria Elimination Programme of Nigeria and state partners, with whom AMF will work closely and with whom we have an agreed set of processes and a strong and open working relationship. We will report transparently on progress and performance throughout and after the distribution.
Key elements of our agreement include:
- AMF is funding 8,100,000 LLINs, with distribution in 2022
- This is a co-funding partnership with non-net costs (shipping, pre-distribution, distribution) funded by the US’s President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)
- To support accurate data gathering, re-checks of net need numbers will take place by re-visiting a material number of households chosen at random.
- Household-level data will be collected using electronic-devices and then transferred into AMF’s Data Entry System (DES) for analysis and verification. This, and the above elements combined, are the basis for a highly accountable distribution.
- Post-distribution monitoring of net use and condition (PDMs) will take place every nine months for two and a half years in all districts. AMF will fund this.
Further information is available via the dedicated province pages below.
Akwa Ibom, Bauchi
|
 US$100m raised this (financial) year!
We are thrilled to have passed a significant milestone for AMF with US$100 million raised in a single year for the first time!
Our heartfelt thanks to all our donors and supporters who in many cases have been supporting AMF year in year out, and some for 15 years. We are extraordinarily grateful for your support and for your confidence in our work. We cannot do what we do without you.
We remain a small team – of nine – and this year our overheads will be ~0.5% of revenues so more than 99% of funds raised are spent on programmes. Our overheads and programme monitoring costs are covered by several donors so we remain able to direct 100% of funds from the public to buy nets.
The distribution programmes we have been able to fund with these donations involve 46 million nets that will protect 83 million people. These nets can be expected to save 30,000 to 35,000 lives, avert 15 to 35 million cases of malaria and improve local economies by more than US$1 billion. When people are ill they cannot farm, drive, teach – function, so the improvement in health leads to economic as well as humanitarian benefits.
AMF’s operations team works daily and closely with our partners in six countries to support the programmes and ensure they are carried out accountably and with a particular focus on data.
Current immediate funding gap
We continue to have a significant immediate funding gap, currently US$41.7m, which is likely to increase in the months ahead, so we remain focused on working to close as much of the gap as we can, as soon as we can.
Every US$2 matters
In filling that funding gap, every US$2 matters as each net protects two people when they sleep at night so no donation is too small.
It is notable that the funds raised so far this year have come from more than 120,000 donations from donors in 189 countries with most being in the range US$2 to US$200. The overall range of individual donations is US$2 to US$20m.
As always, our sincere thanks from the team to everyone for their wonderful support and generosity.
|
AMF has added to its existing agreement with the DRC Ministry of Health and has agreed to fund 16.4 million nets for distribution in six provinces, Kongo Central, Kinshasa, Ituri, Tshopo, Haut Uele and Bas Uele, for distribution in 2023. These nets aim to achieve 100% coverage across all provinces, protecting 30 million people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Of these 16.4 million nets, the funding of 4.2 million nets is contingent upon AMF receiving the necessary funding during 2021 but we are confident this will be achieved.
The benefits of being able to commit now to funding nets that will be distributed in DRC in 2022 and 2023 are significant.
First, it allows our co-funding partner, the Global Fund, not to scale back its allocation of funding in the first two years of the three year funding cycle. Without confirmation of our funding, reprogramming would be necessary, including scaling back of interventions and delayed distributions. This would be required to spread funds evenly and avoid a significant lack of funds for the final year of the funding cycle. Any resulting delays to distributions mean that households have to wait longer than three years to receive new nets. In the third year, nets wear out and so delays extend the period during which households are less well protected which can lead to malaria resurging.
Second, it gives the DRC Ministry of Health time to plan. A three-year rolling nationwide malaria control campaign, covering an area the size of Spain, France, Germany, Sweden and Norway combined, or 25% of the USA land area, is a major logistical and planning exercise. The country’s resources can be focused on implementing the campaign, rather than on updating plans due to lack of funding.
DRC is one of the two most malarious countries in the world with malaria responsible for the deaths of at least 80 children under 5 each day in DRC alone, with high incidence levels seen across the majority of the country.
These nets have the potential to play a major part in reducing deaths and illness. This quantity of nets could be expected to prevent 11,000 deaths, 6 to 11 million cases of malaria and make a material impact on the economy of DRC. It is estimated that the improvement in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of economic performance, would be about USD 400 million.
We are about to allocate individual donations to these specific distributions and many donations, large and small, will fund these nets.
The distributions will be implemented by the National Malaria Control Programme of DRC and its distribution partners, with whom we have an agreed set of processes and a strong and open working relationship. We will report transparently on progress and performance throughout and after the distribution.
Key elements of our agreement include:
-
AMF is funding 16,400,000 LLINs, with distribution in 2023
-
This is a co-funding partnership with non-net costs (shipping, pre-distribution, distribution) funded by the Global Fund
-
To support accurate data gathering, re-checks of net need numbers will take place by re-visiting a material number of households chosen at random.
-
Household-level data will be collected using electronic-devices and then transferred into AMF’s Data Entry System (DES) for analysis and verification. This, and the above elements combined, are the basis for a highly accountable distribution.
-
Post-distribution monitoring of net use and condition (PDMs) will take place every nine months for two and a half years in all districts. AMF will fund this.
Further information is available via the dedicated province pages below.
List of DRC distributions
2023
Tanganika,
Haut Lomami,
Kongo Central,
Kinshasa,
Ituri,
Tshopo,
Haut Uele,
Haut Katanga,
Bas Uele
2022
Mongala,
Sud Kivu,
Équateur,
Sud Ubangi
2021
Kwilu,
Sankuru,
Haut Lomami,
Haut Uele,
Maniema,
Bas Uele,
Kasai,
Ituri,
Tshopo,
Kasai Oriental
2020
Kinshasa,
Kongo Central,
Sud Ubangi,
Tanganyika,
Haut Katanga,
Haut Lomami
2019
Équateur
|
 AMF has added to its existing agreement with the DRC Ministry of Health and has agreed to fund 12.9 million nets for distribution in five provinces, Équateur, Haut Katanga, Sud Ubangi, Tanganyika and Haut Lomami, for distribution in 2022 and early 2023. These nets aim to achieve 100% coverage across all provinces, protecting 23 million people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
DRC is one of the two most malarious countries in the world with malaria responsible for the deaths of at least 100 children under 5 each day in DRC alone, with high incidence levels seen across the majority of the country.
These nets have the potential to play a major part in reducing deaths and illness. This quantity of nets could be expected to prevent 8,000 deaths, 4 to 8 million cases of malaria and make a material impact on the economy of DRC. It is estimated that the improvement in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of economic performance, would be about USD 320 million.
We are about to allocate individual donations to these specific distributions and many donations, large and small, will fund these nets.
We will report openly on progress and performance throughout and after the distribution.
Key elements of our agreement include:
-
AMF is funding 12,939,250 LLINs, with distribution in 2022 and early 2023
-
This is a co-funding partnership with non-net costs (shipping, pre-distribution, distribution) funded by the Global Fund
-
To support accurate data gathering, re-checks of net need numbers will take place by re-visiting a material number of households chosen at random.
-
Household-level data will be collected using electronic-devices and then entered into AMF’s Data Entry System (DES) for analysis and verification. This, and the above elements combined, are the basis for a highly accountable distribution.
-
Post-distribution monitoring of net use and condition (PDMs) will take place every nine months for two and a half years in all districts. AMF will fund this.
Further information is available via the dedicated province pages below.
List of DRC distribution
2023
Tanganika,
Haut Lomami
2022
Mongala,
Sud Kivu,
Équateur,
Haut Katanga,
Sud Ubangi
2021
Kwilu,
Sankuru,
Haut Lomami,
Haut Uele,
Maniema,
Bas Uele,
Kasai Province,
Kasai Oriental Province
2020
Kinshasa,
Kongo Central,
Ituri,
Tshopo
2019
Équateur,
Sud Ubangi,
Tanganyika,
Haut Katanga,
Haut Lomami
|
 In September 2019 we informed you that AMF-funded nets had been stolen from Guinea. We are now pleased to report that these nets have been found, identified and returned to Guinea and will be distributed to beneficiaries as intended.
Summary
46,000 AMF-funded nets were stolen in Guinea in 2019, part of a total of 88,000 nets that were diverted from Guinea to Mali, where they were repackaged to be sold to the Malian Ministry of Health for use in their mass distribution campaign. All of these nets were recovered in Mali and have now been returned to Guinea where they will be distributed in areas where they are most needed. We will continue to work with the Guinean authorities to understand the mechanism by which the nets were stolen. The Malian Ministry of Health, Justice Department and the police in Mali have been particularly helpful in this matter and arrests have been made. These 46,000 nets were part of the 4.8 million nets that AMF funded for the Guinea campaign and therefore were 0.96% of the total nets funded.
Detail
In our last full update on this topic, we shared that 98,500 nets had been found in counterfeit packaging in a warehouse in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Since then, an AMF representative based in Guinea has made multiple trips to Bamako and has worked closely with the local partners and the Malian authorities, to understand the situation and to ensure AMF nets are returned to Guinea. The events as we understand them are as follows.
In 2018 the Mali National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) had a shortage of nets for their mass distribution. Given the urgent net gap, an international partner with nets in storage in Bamako agreed to loan 200,000 nets to the NMCP. This was on the basis that the NMCP would procure 200,000 nets after the distribution to return to the international partner. The procurement of the nets was done by the Mali Ministry of Health and the contract was awarded to a company called Elite Global Services.
Elite Global Services did not purchase nets from a World Health Organisation certified net manufacturer. Rather, they diverted nets from Guinea in lorries where they were sent to a small ‘workshop’ warehouse in Bamako. In this ‘workshop’ warehouse, net labels were cut off to remove evidence of net type or provenance. Each net was then wrapped into counterfeit packaging of an established net– Vestergaard’s PermaNet 2.0 – before being sent to a storage warehouse in Bamako.
On 13th September 2019 the ‘workshop’ warehouse was raided by Malian police. On 18th September 2019, AMF’s representative discovered 98,500 nets in the storage warehouse. Evidence found at the ‘workshop’ warehouse strongly suggests that all of the nets stolen from Guinea were present in the storage warehouse.
After the discovery, we carried out an identification process to establish how many of the 98,500 nets belonged to each funder. This showed a total of 88,000 nets from all funders in Guinea, of which 46,000 were AMF nets. The remaining 10,500 nets were unidentifiable.
The Malian authorities helped facilitate the identification process and accepted these findings. They agreed to return the nets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, repatriation of these nets slowed. The nets officially passed from Malian to Guinean possession in Bamako on 29th May 2020. Subsequently transport across the border was arranged, and by September 2020, all nets were returned to Guinea. We have been working with partners in Guinea to send the 46,000 AMF-funded nets to areas with lower net coverage and that work is almost complete. We have been using data from our post distribution monitoring at 9 months after distribution to guide these decisions.
Lessons learned
The processes that we agree with Ministries of Health when funding nets aim to minimise the risk of theft. These include independent monitoring, collection of household level information, and tracking net movement and delivery. We will continue to work with the Guinean authorities to understand better how the nets were diverted to Mali and will update our processes if necessary. An AMF representative in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, is liaising with the Ministry of Health and Justice to understand where in the supply chain the theft occurred.
We have taken specific actions aimed at increasing the chances of identifying AMF nets in the event of a future theft. These include the following new elements that are unique to AMF nets: label size, coloured stitching, coloured loops, bale number on net label, bale number on a banner of the label that passes through the stitching of the net. These elements would enable us to quickly identify AMF nets, even if the label had been cut off, as was the case in the Guinea-Mali situation. We have negotiated these items with our net manufacturers and have already implemented them for subsequent orders in Uganda, DRC and Togo.
We are pleased to have tracked down the stolen nets, and have them returned to Guinea to be used for their original purpose: to protect people from malaria when they sleep at night.
19 Jun 20 – Update 5: June 2020
06 Mar 20 – Update 4: March 2020
05 Dec 19 – Update 3: November 2019
31 Oct 19 – Update 2: October 2019
30 Sep 19 – Update 1: September 2019
24 Sep 19 – AMF investigating possible theft of nets in Guinea
|
We are absolutely delighted to have just received a US$20m donation from a single donor.
This donation has been put to work immediately as it has allowed us to confirm funding for a significant net distribution programme in 2022, just a year away. We will publish information about this shortly.
The donation will buy an estimated 10 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (final number dependent upon the final cost/net) that will protect 18 million people when they sleep at night.
In terms of impact, these nets can be expected to save 6,000 to 7,000 lives, avert 3 to 7 million cases of malaria and improve the local economy in the region in which the nets will be distributed by an estimated US$240 million (12x the donation amount). When people are ill they cannot farm, drive, teach – function, so the improvement in health leads to economic as well as humanitarian benefits.
Importantly, this helps reduce the immediate funding gap for AMF's planned net programmes from US$52m to US$32m and is a fantastic boost to this work.
We continue to work hard to make sure our programmes are as effective as ever, and can see the urgent need for nets across the countries we work in. Every donation, large and small, is so important, as every US$2 funds a net that protects two people and helps us close the gap. A huge donation such as the one received this week is fabulous, and our history also shows that many, more modest sized donations have been, and are, critical to achieving our malaria programmes (AMF's donations statistics).
|
 AMF has added to its existing agreement with the DRC Ministry of Health and has agreed to fund 6.8 million nets for distribution in Kasai and Kasai Oriental provinces, with a target distribution date of Q4 2021. These nets aim to achieve 100% coverage across both provinces, protecting 12.3 million people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
DRC is one of the two most malarious countries in the world with malaria responsible for the deaths of at least 100 children under 5 each day in DRC alone, with high incidence levels seen across the majority of the country.
These nets have the potential to play a major part in reducing deaths and illness. This quantity of nets could be expected to prevent 4,000 deaths, 2 to 4 million cases of malaria and make a material impact on the economy of DRC. It is estimated that the improvement in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a measure of economic performance, would be about USD 160 million.
After the required funding is received, AMF allocates individual donations to specific distributions and so far we have allocated 727 individual donations from 706 donors from 36 countries. These figures will increase as further donations are allocated. Many donations, large and small, help fund these nets.
We will report openly on progress and performance throughout and after the distribution.
Key elements of our agreement include:
-
AMF is funding 6,825,000 LLINs, targeting distribution in Q4 2021
-
This is a co-funding partnership with non-net costs (shipping, pre-distribution, distribution) funded by the Global Fund
-
To support accurate data gathering, re-checks of net need numbers will take place by re-visiting a material number of households chosen at random.
-
Household-level data will be collected using electronic-devices and then entered into AMF’s Data Entry System (DES) for analysis and verification. This, and the above elements combined, are the basis for a highly accountable distribution.
-
Post-distribution monitoring of net use and condition (PDMs) will take place every nine months for two and a half years in all districts. AMF will fund this.
Further information is available via the dedicated distribution pages for
Kasai Province and
Kasai Oriental Province.
List of DRC distributions
2022
Kwilu,
Sankuru,
Haut Lomami,
Mongala,
Sud Kivu
2021
Haut Uele,
Maniema,
Bas Uele,
Kasai Province,
Kasai Oriental Province
2020
Kinshasa,
Kongo Centrale,
Ituri,
Tshopo
2019
Equateur,
Sud Ubangi,
Tanganyika,
Haut Katanga,
Haut Lomami
|
 We are delighted to report that AMF now has tax-deductible status for donors in Sweden.
The Against Malaria Foundation has been granted tax-deductible status for donors by Skatteverket, Sweden's tax authority. It is effective from 26 January 2021 and runs through to 31st December 2024. Our organisation number is 502085-3775.
For a donor to qualify,
-
a minimum of 200 SEK* must be donated per gift occasion (individual donations below SEK 200 do not count towards the SEK 2,000 total)
-
a minimum of 2,000 SEK* must be donated per year (this does not need to be to the same charity)
-
taxpayers should include information about their donations in their tax return
-
AMF must submit qualifying donations to Skatteverket in the January following the prior calendar year’s end and our submission must include the donor’s social security number
A maximum of 6,000 SEK* is tax-deductible per donor (this does not all need to be to the same charity). The tax-deduction for donors is 25% of the donation amount.
Note: All online donations from Swedish residents automatically receive an acknowledgement with a link to a downloadable tax receipt. For those wishing to make donations by bank transfer or cheque, the relevant bank account and address information can be found on our donations page, and tax receipts are sent on request.
|
From the Trustees of the Against Malaria Foundation
We are delighted to inform all our supporters of the wonderful news that the Against Malaria Foundation’s founder and CEO, Rob Mather, has been awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2021 New Year's Honours list for his 'services to medicine and charity'. These awards are given for major contributions to civil life and public service and, consequently, are held in very high esteem.
Rob founded AMF in 2004 and since then has worked tirelessly to raise funds and ensure that bed nets end up over the heads of those that need them. The success of AMF in achieving its goals is undoubtedly down to Rob’s vision, enthusiasm and commitment.
This award follows the Commonwealth Points of Light award in 2018, given to one individual from each of the Commonwealth nations for tackling global challenges. He was recognised for his outstanding work to reduce cases of malaria and child mortality across the world. The award was presented by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William on behalf of The Queen.
|
As 2020 draws to a close we would like to thank all who have supported and worked with AMF this year as without donors, distribution partners, volunteers and pro bono supporters we would not be able to do what we do in contributing to the fight against malaria. Thank you!
Distributions update
We are currently distributing 34 million nets in three countries – Togo, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These nets will protect 61 million people when they sleep at night, which is 5% of the population of the African continent. We are particularly proud of this achievement given the context of COVID-19. Our distribution partners have done a wonderful job of adapting processes to ensure that net distributions are maintained throughout the pandemic.
We are carrying out post-distribution monitoring activities, to assess net presence, use and condition, in six countries – DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Papua New Guinea and Zambia – where we have previously distributed nets.
We have recently completed the distribution of 1.9 million nets in Sud-Ubangi province and 4.1 million nets in Haut Katanga province, both in DRC.
In 2021, we have already committed to fund 29 million nets for distribution that will protect a further 52 million people and we hope to add to that total.
Future distributions
There remains a huge need for nets. The gap for the next two years runs into tens of millions of nets. AMF is involved in discussions with a number of countries requiring millions of nets each for the period 2021 to 2023. AMF’s immediate funding gap is many tens of millions of dollars.
We will publish commitments as they are made.
580,000th donation and over US$280 million raised so far!
We are thrilled to have passed the milestone of a quarter of a billion dollars raised, with most donations ranging from a few dollars (and £, €, CAN$, NZ$, AUS$, bitcoin and more) to many thousands.
We are so grateful for your support. Thank you!
Tax-Deductibility
We now have tax-deductible status in a dozen countries. We continue to assess the need for tax-deductibility status in other countries, some of which are already in the application stage and we hope to complete in the very near future.
AMF top ranked!
AMF has again been top-ranked by the two leading organisations 'dedicated to finding
outstanding giving opportunities'.
GiveWell has ranked AMF a top charity, for the twelfth
year in a row
The Life You Can Save has AMF as a top-ranked charity for the twelfth year in a row
A suggestion for the Christmas/Holiday season!
Donate nets instead of gifts.
We send the recipient/s an email (on a date you choose e.g. 25th Dec) with your
personal message and a link to their 'gift page', allowing them to follow the progress
of their nets.
May we wish you a very happy and healthy 2021!
The AMF Team - Rob, Andrew, Peter, Julian, Jenny, Shaun, Aisling, David, Sylvie and Jonas
|