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New British-backed innovation nearly halves malaria in children and could save millions of lives

A new generation of bed net known as Interceptor G2 is using a new technology that malaria-carrying mosquitoes will no longer be able to avoid. It is so effective it kills about up to 97% of mosquitoes that come into contact with them.

In trials in Tanzania the new nets have halved malaria infections among children when compared to standard nets. This news couldn’t come at a more vital time in the malaria fight with deaths from the disease at their highest for nearly a decade and resistance to existing insecticides becoming increasingly common.

The new insecticide works differently from other nets by causing the mosquitoes’ muscles to cramp up preventing it from biting anyone, compared to more traditional insecticides that attack the mosquito’s nervous system - which is increasingly ineffective against the evolving and nimble mosquito.

To ensure that the nets reach the people who need them most partners have come together (including Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and are funded by the Global Fund and Wellcome Trust. This year they hope to have distributed 35 million nets in 13 countries.

Funding from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been critical for the next generation nets’ success and will be essential for ensuring they reach families who need them most. Now is the time for Britain to renew its contribution to the malaria fight, ahead of the Funds’ 7th Replenishment Conference in October. By doing so we will be backing the UK’s brilliant scientists and helping save millions of lives.

Baroness Liz Sugg CBE joins our Board as Chair

We’re honoured to announce the appointment of Baroness Liz Sugg CBE as our new Board Chair.

Baroness Sugg served as Minister for International Development in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, resigning from the Government in December 2020 over the decision to cut the aid budget. She will bring a powerful and unique knowledge of government and international development to this role and our work.

“I am delighted to be joining the brilliant team at Malaria No More UK. There is the real possibility of definitively ending malaria for good within a generation and, knowing that a child now dies of malaria every minute, that is a goal that everyone wants to see realised as soon as possible,” she says.

Baroness Sugg’s appointment comes at a crucial time in the fight against the disease, with the latest figures showing a staggering 627,000 lives lost to malaria in 2020, the highest number in nearly a decade.

“Today malaria is at genuine risk of global resurgence, partly due to rising insecticide and drug resistance, which is why the role of British-backed science and innovation is instrumental in steering progress against malaria back on track. From ground-breaking new vaccine developments to next-generation mosquito nets and cutting-edge antimalarials, we must continue to support our exceptional scientists, universities, and academic institutions.”

With the upcoming Global Fund 7th Replenishment Conference in the autumn, she adds, “for the sake of millions of men’s, women’s, and children’s lives, and for the safety of us all, it is vital that the UK Government chooses to maintain Britain’s leadership on malaria.”

Thank you,

Malaria No More UK team

PS. With a donation from you the end of malaria starts now - In 2022 no child should die from a mosquito bite. Malaria is preventable and curable. Your generosity can help end malaria for good.