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To commemorate World Malaria Day, the pan-African bank group, Ecobank, through its Ecobank Foundation, has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting malaria through its ongoing 2020 partnership with Speak Up Africa, a non-profit advocacy organisation, and the RBM Partnership. Through the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative (ZMBLI), now operational in Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Uganda, the Group has already raised nearly $500,000 and has engaged 37 local businesses, Ecobank said in a statement.

“ZMBLI demonstrates the bank's deep commitment to leverage its expertise and network of clients and partners to address the critical public health challenge of malaria,” the bank said.

Malaria remains a major cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, causing nearly 602,000 deaths in 2020, of which 80% were children aged under five. In the same year, almost 34% of pregnant women suffered from malaria, resulting in 819,000 babies being born with a higher risk of developing long-term health problems.

Malaria is also a socio-economic challenge. According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, malaria is responsible for Africa losing 4.3bn working days, 1.5bn school days, and also costs the continent an estimated $12bn per year.