Malaria is spread by parasite-infected mosquitoes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is a "life-threatening disease" that is caused by the bites of parasite-infected mosquitoes. Most malaria cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa; in 2008 more than a million children on that continent died of this disease. Private foundations and other nonprofit organizations have mobilized to find a cure for malaria.
Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)
The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) research program is a component of the Tropical Disease Research Program that was developed in 1975 through a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Program. MIM research grants are provided to support African research groups and scientists in their efforts to develop innovative malaria-control programs. Proposals are accepted from African national scientists working in research groups on that continent.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides technical and financial support for existing malaria-eradication programs; the foundation also aims to develop new tools to prevent and treat the disease. Eligible projects include malaria-prevention vaccines and drugs, tools for mosquito control, and research and advocacy programs for malaria prevention. In 2003, the foundation awarded grants totaling $168 million, some of the largest in the foundation's history, to accelerate research on new malaria-prevention strategies for children and to develop new pharmaceuticals for drug-resistant forms of malaria.
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) is part of the Johns Hopkins' School of Public Health and its department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. JHMRI provides fellowships and grants for malaria-related research; its pilot grant program is designed to support investigators from a variety of fields. Grant applications are accepted by invitation only. JHMRI also provides pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships to qualified scientists with an interest in malaria research. The grant provides a two-year stipend, health insurance and funding for travel-related expenses.
U.S. National Institutes of Health
The John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences is a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Center provides research and training grants to qualified scientists in areas including infectious diseases, chronic conditions, population health and genetics. NIH's International Malaria Clinical, Operational and Health Services Research and Training Awards (ICOHRTA) provide grants for malaria research in clinical, operational and public health services. The grant is also open to social scientists and health-care professionals. Target countries include Angola, Benin, Ethiopia and Ghana.
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