This guide is part of the End Malaria Councils and Funds toolkit.
Following their orientation, the EMC members are formally announced during a launch ceremony. This event is organised in partnership with the Head of State and Government and/or Ministry of Health.
Engaging senior leaders
The primary purposes of the launch event are to engage senior leaders to commit to fighting malaria (for example, by declaring that “Zero Malaria Starts with Me”) and to raise the visibility of the EMC. This event gives the EMC members a mandate to engage their respective sectors to mobilise commitments for advocacy, action, resources and accountability.
In addition to the unveiling of the members, the meeting provides an opportunity for the NMCP to share a high-profile overview of the malaria situation (including the national malaria scorecard) and the objectives of the NSP. This helps keep malaria high on the national agenda.
Mobilising resources
The announcement can also be used as an opportunity to mobilise resources. This could include directly soliciting pledges from those in attendance or online.
Launch of the Eswatini End Malaria Fund
H.M. King Mswati III launched Eswatini’s End Malaria Fund in May 2019. This launch was hosted at an event hall and was attended by several hundred government officials, private sector companies and development partners. During the event, attendees were invited to make pledges to the Fund using a mobile website with the results presented prominently on the screen. During the event, more than $300,000 USD were mobilised from the attendees.
Raising the profile of the event
To raise the profile of the event, it is recommended that:
- the press be invited to attend
- senior political leaders and EMC members give interviews to the media following the event
- that advertisements are placed in national newspapers and on social media.
Launch of the Kenya EMC
In February 2021, the Cabinet Secretary for Health publicly announced Kenya’s End Malaria Council. This announcement was held at a hotel in Nairobi with members of the press in attendance. These remarks were covered by national print, television, and radio. In parallel, the EMC members placed an advertisement in a national newspaper announcing the EMC and their priorities and a social media campaign was launched on Facebook and Twitter to reach a broader audience.