Malaria Free Mekong, Media release, February, 2021

Malaria Free Mekong, a platform of Communities and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the Greater Mekong region announces newly elected CSO representatives to the Global Fund Regional Artemisinin Initiatives (RAI) Regional Steering Committee (RSC) from 2021 to 2023. We are pleased to welcome Prof. Maxime Whittaker and MS. Josselyn Neukom as the RAI RSC members representing communities at risk of malaria and CSOs working with them. Dr. Htin Kyaw Thu and Ms. Khorn Linna will serve as the alternate representatives.

As RAI RSC members, both Representatives will represent the interests of the entire CSO constituency and play a key role in the Global Fund RAI-related decision-making process, to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance of the Global Fund RAI3E grant. As malaria risk is narrowing to remote communities, forests, and communities with limited access to routine health and other public services, both representatives are committed to increasing community ownership in the malaria response. To support this goal, the RSC CSO Representatives will advocate for improved access to and informed demand for services by communities at risk through community engagement at all stages of elimination programming and research. This will include advocating for community engagement to improve the availability, acceptability, and affordability of integrated services, commodities, and tools for malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as well as sufficient resources to strengthen the capacity of the community and community volunteers and use of quality data and information for decision making.

We are confident that Prof. Maxine and Ms. Josselyn’s leadership, along with alternate representatives and the RAI3E partners and their experience and expertise will support improvements in products, services, and information needed to reduce malaria risk and better meet the needs of marginalized community members including mobile and migrant populations, ethnic minorities and people living or working in the forest.

The RAI RSC CSO representatives were elected following an open and transparent process engaging all malaria implementing Civil Society Organizations in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

We look forward to fostering a partnership and collaboration to achieve the malaria elimination goal.

Malaria Free Mekong
A platform of communities and civil society organization
Hosted by: ARC ( known as ALIGHT)