Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) takes the battle against malaria to
three continents in commemoration of the first-ever World Malaria Day on
April 25.
This follows ExxonMobil´s announcement it will
donate $10 million to anti-malaria efforts through the "Idol
Gives Back" episode of the FOX-TV show American
Idol, earlier this month.
"Malaria kills an African child every 30
seconds and more than 1 million people a year," said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer. "World
Malaria Day provides an opportunity to increase awareness and direct
engagement in fighting the devastating consequences of this preventable
disease. ExxonMobil is committed to the fight, which is why we´re
doing everything we are -- from helping to develop new drugs to
distributing insecticide-treated nets to places where they are
desperately needed."
ExxonMobil employees and executives are participating in a number of
activities in Africa, Europe and North America on World Malaria Day
designed to raise awareness and resources in the battle against malaria.
In Africa and Europe, employees of ExxonMobil retail operations have
initiated a fund-raising campaign for the purchase of life-saving bed
nets.
In Africa, ExxonMobil´s medical director of
global issues and projects, Dr. Steven Phillips, is a part of the Roll
Back Malaria Zambezi Expedition, a voyage on the fabled Zambezi River
to showcase successes and highlight challenges associated with the
fight against malaria, as well as distribute bed nets and provide
medical treatment. ExxonMobil played a coordinating role and is
sponsoring the Zambezi Expedition, which is a partnership of Roll Back
Malaria, six countries from the Southern African Development
Community, non-profit institutions and private companies.
In Washington, DC, J. Stephen Simon, senior vice president, Exxon
Mobil Corporation, is participating in a World Malaria Day event at
the White House, hosted by President George W. Bush. ExxonMobil is the
largest corporate donor to the President´s
Malaria Initiative.
Also in Africa, ExxonMobil affiliates are distributing bed nets and
holding a variety of malaria-related community and employee events
such as poster displays, malaria conferences, and health education
sessions.
The $10-million donation announced by ExxonMobil, the largest
non-pharmaceutical corporate donor to malaria research and development
efforts, will be directed to Malaria No More, a non-profit organization
with the mission to end deaths due to malaria.
The donation to Malaria No More will bring ExxonMobil´s
commitment to organizations engaged in important community and social
development projects in Africa to more than $130 million, which includes
$50 million committed through the company´s
Africa Health Initiative.
The Initiative was established in 2000 in support of the Abuja
Declaration on Roll Back Malaria in Africa and its goal to halve malaria
deaths by 2010. Since then, ExxonMobil has developed on-the-ground
public-private partnerships to fight malaria at the community level
progress treatment and vaccine research and raise awareness and
international support.
As part of those relationships, Dr. Phillips serves on the board of
Malaria No More and Roll Back Malaria, a partnership launched in 1998 by
the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children´s
Fund, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank.
According to Roll Back Malaria, malaria is a life-threatening disease
caused by a parasite and transmitted to humans by mosquito bite. With
between 1 million and 3 million deaths annually and 3,000 children
deaths daily, it remains one of the globe´s leading infectious killers.
The majority of its victims are children under the age of five and
pregnant women.
About Exxon Mobil Corporation
Exxon Mobil Corporation and ExxonMobil Foundation, the primary
philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States
engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education
health and public policy in the communities where ExxonMobil has
significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports
initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher
education levels. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic
education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing
countries. In 2007, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon
Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil
Foundation provided $207 million in contributions worldwide. Additional
information on ExxonMobil´s community
partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community3.
