African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) to celebrate historic progress in fight against malaria in Africa with 2016 ALMA Awards for Excellence

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) 2016 Awards for Excellence will be presented on 30 January at 13:00-14:00 (EAT) in the African Union Conference Centre Multipurpose Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The ALMA Awards, which recognize 13 countries in three categories, will be presented at the African Union as part of the programme for the Heads of State Summit.
The ceremony will be attended by representatives of the winning countries, including African heads of state.
Africa has experienced unprecedented progress in the malaria fight in the past 15 years. For the first time in history, a malaria-free Africa is in sight. Since 2000, malaria mortality rates on the continent have fallen by 66% among all age groups and by 71% among children under 5. An estimated 663 million cases of malaria have been averted in sub-Saharan Africa since 2001 due to scale up of malaria interventions.

Opportunities for media:
Media are hereby advised of the following opportunities to interact with 2016 winners and experts from ALMA.
For media in Addis Ababa
Spokespeople availability in Addis Ababa – 30th January 2016, 14:00 to 16:00 (EAT): Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the ALMA and Sherwin Charles, Chair of the ALMA Awards for Excellence Selection Committee will be available to speak to media and answer questions. Please contact us directly for opportunities to interview heads of state of countries recognized in the 2016 ALMA Awards for Excellence.
Open to all media
Tele-Conference – 29th January 2016, 10.30am (EAT): ALMA will be organizing a tele-conference for all interested media. The conference will be led by the Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, Joy Phumaphi. Please contact us directly to receive dial in details for your location.
Twitter Q&A – 29th January 2016, 11.30am (EAT): ALMA will host a 30 minute Twitter Q&A session with Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the ALMA and Sherwin Charles, Chair of the ALMA Awards for Excellence Selection Committee. To join the conversation please follow @ALMA_2030 and use the hashtag #AskAlma2030.
To register interest in any of the above, please contact:
ALMA@portland-communications.com.

About ALMA
Founded in 2009, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance is a ground-breaking coalition of 49 African Heads of State and government working across country and regional borders to achieve a malaria free Africa by 2030. For more information visit: www.alma2030.org

About ALMA Awards for Excellence
The ALMA Awards for Excellence celebrates exemplary leadership in policy, impact and implementation in the fight against malaria. The ALMA Awards for Excellence are chosen by an independent awards selection committee, comprised of the following individuals:
• Sherwin Charles, CEO of Sonhos Social Capital, and Chairman of the Selection Committee
• Dr Akudo Anyanwu Ikemba, Director of Partnerships at the Task Force for Global Health at Emory University
• Dr Esther Tallah, Director of Malaria Consortium - Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (MC-CCAM)
• Professor Fred Binka, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho in Ghana
• Dr Hassan Mshinda, Director General of Tanzania’s Commission for Science and Technology (COSTEC)
• Dr Maru Aregawi, Scientist within the Strategy Economics and Elimination Unit in the Global Malaria Program, World Health Organization

Contact details:
Allan Kamau, Portland Communications
Fixed line: +44 (0) 20 7554 1741
Mobile: +251 (0) 929228408
Email: ALMA@portland-communications.com

Links and directory:
Website: www.alma2030.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ALMA-African-Leaders-Malaria-Alliance-356455541093491
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alma_2030
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/african-leaders-malaria-alliance-alma-
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/103141785@N06