Anti-malaria nets delivered to Zambia

[Standard Bank Team]

Mosquitoes are annoying enough without the risks of becoming dangerously ill, add Malaria to the equation and we’re in some serious trouble.

This is why Stanbic Bank in Zambia (a member of Standard Bank Group) have got involved in helping to distribute more than 800 000 anti-mosquito bed nets around Zambia. This project is three months ahead of schedule and just in time as the peak of the deadly rainy season is about to begin.It is during the wet months that the risk of malaria is at its highest.

The early delivery was possible thanks to a deal reached by the Government of Zambia, the World Bank, UNICEF, Stanbic Bank in Zambia and the United Nations Foundation, supported by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria.

This deal marks the inaugural transaction of the Pledge Guarantee for Health (PGH), a new financial tool developed by the UN Foundation, with help from Dalberg Global Development Advisors, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that streamlines the procurement of lifesaving health supplies. The $4.8 million deal will provide anti-malaria bed nets to 1.6 million people and potentially avert tens of thousands of malaria cases, saving the lives of thousands of children in Zambia.

Here is how it works. PGH facilitates short-term loans to developing country recipients on the basis of pending aid commitments. This enables recipients to avoid stock-outs, emergency shipments, and high costs that can arise when they must wait for funding to replenish supplies of critical medicines. The PGH is flexible, and transactions are structured to accommodate needs of both recipients and donors.

To learn more about all the organizations involved, visit http://www.standardbank.com/Article.aspx?id=-54&src=