IAMGOLD Helping to Combat Malaria in Senegal

IAMGOLD Helping to Combat Malaria in Senegal

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is an endemic public health issue in certain regions of the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa where IAMGOLD operates. Malaria caused over 600,000 deaths in the world in 2021, and, yet, it is preventable and curable. IAMGOLD recently signed an agreement with Senegal's anti-malaria national program (also known as "Programme National de lutte contre le Paludisme" or PNLP).

IAMGOLD's commitment under this agreement will be to support PNLP's activities for a period of one year and will specifically focus on the country's Kedougou region. Anti-malaria activities which IAMGOLD has already supported include delivering public-health education sessions to local populations to raise awareness about the disease as well as the preventative spraying of households to make homes safe.

IAMGOLD-PNLP partnership is part of the "Zéro Palu" initiative ("Zero Malaria" in English), a public health program initiated by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Ecobank and SpeakUpAfrica to combat the disease in Africa. The initiative, which is endorsed by the African Union, seeks to leverage the private sector's networks, support and influence to eradicate the disease at the local level.

"As a responsible miner committed to improving the lives of our host communities, it made sense for us to invest in this program as healthy communities are thriving communities," said Oumar Toguyeni, Senior Vice President, IAMGOLD's External Affairs & Sustainability. "Programs like these are not only essential to sustainable community development, they are also imperative to maintain our social license to operate," added Mr. Toguyeni.

About Malaria

In 2021, there were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria worldwide. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 619 000 in 2021. The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2021, the region was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths.

Source: WHO - World Health Organization